How is a modular patient room designed?

In short

A modular patient room is designed around the bed: space to care for the patient from several sides, a bedhead with medical gases, sockets and nurse call, an accessible bathroom, surfaces that are easy to clean and a comfortable setting with daylight and considered finishes. Pre-finished modular walls make every room identical to the last, shorten the works and remain accessible for maintenance. The ADAM healthcare range includes patient rooms and modular bathrooms.

The patient room is where patients spend most of their time in hospital, and one that staff visit throughout the day. It must be practical for carers, hygienic, easy to maintain and welcoming for the person staying in it. A ward often has dozens of rooms, almost all identical, and it is precisely this repetition that makes modular systems particularly well suited.

What needs must a patient room meet?

A good patient room meets six needs.

Care: space around the bed to work from several sides, to pass with trolleys and equipment, and to move the bed.
Services: medical gases, power sockets, lighting and nurse call within reach.
Hygiene: smooth surfaces resistant to disinfectants, and a basin for hand hygiene.
Patient independence: an accessible bathroom that can be reached safely.
Comfort: daylight, little noise, finishes and colours that make the room feel less clinical.
Flexibility: the ability to adapt the room to different needs over time.

Minimum dimensions and mandatory equipment are set by each country's standards and by the requirements of the healthcare facility.

Single or double rooms?

The choice depends on the ward and on the hospital's organisational model.

Aspect	Single room	Double room
Privacy	Higher	Lower
Isolating patients	Simpler	More complex
Floor area per bed	Larger	Smaller
Flexibility of management	Each room is independent	Patient pairings to manage

With a modular system, convertible rooms can be planned from the start, designed to switch from one use to another with limited work.

What is integrated into the bedhead wall?

The wall behind the bed is the most heavily serviced in the room. It generally houses medical gas outlets, power sockets, reading and examination lights, the call button and sometimes supports for equipment. Alternatively, these fittings are grouped in a bedhead unit mounted on the wall.

In modular walls, provisions are designed before manufacturing and arrive on site in their exact position. Behind the panels, services remain accessible for maintenance without demolition.

How is the en-suite bathroom designed?

The bathroom must be accessible to patients with reduced mobility, with manoeuvring space, grab rails and slip-resistant surfaces, and easy to clean, with few joints and moisture-resistant materials. The door must allow entry with mobility aids and, if needed, quick intervention by staff.

The bathroom also lends itself to modular construction: on a ward with many identical bathrooms, manufacturing at the plant ensures the same quality in every room.

Why do modular systems suit wards with many identical rooms?

On a ward, the same room is repeated many times. Every well-designed detail is multiplied, and so is every error. A modular system manufactured at the plant turns repetition into an advantage:

every room matches the last, with the same finishes and the same provisions;
checks are carried out at the factory, before shipping;
on site, dry assembly progresses room by room, with predictable timing;
over the years, rooms are maintained and updated with the same components.

How do you make a patient room welcoming?

A welcoming room helps the patient rest and stay oriented. Daylight and a view outside matter, as do noise control, adjustable lighting and finishes that soften the clinical look. In ADAM projects, modular walls can also carry full-wall decorative prints, as in the operating theatres at AMS Private Clinic in the Netherlands.

What does ADAM offer for patient rooms?

The ADAM S.r.l. healthcare range includes patient rooms, modular bathrooms, corridors, clinics and operating theatres. The SALUS system, developed since 2006, provides pre-finished panels with continuous, cleanable surfaces that can be opened for services maintenance, and is designed and manufactured at the plant in Bernate Ticino, near Milan.

Among ADAM projects, at Al Marj Hospital in Libya corridors and wards are built with ADAM modular partitions. The healthcare solutions are described on the ADAM Health page and the projects on the Projects page. For a new ward or the refurbishment of an inpatient area, contact the ADAM team.

Frequently asked questions

Single or double rooms on a hospital ward?

It depends on the ward and on how the hospital is organised. Single rooms offer more privacy and make it easier to isolate patients, while double rooms take up less floor area per bed. A modular system makes it possible to plan convertible rooms and adapt the ward over time.

What should a patient room bedhead contain?

Generally medical gas outlets, power sockets, reading and examination lighting and the nurse call system. The exact provision is set by the design and the requirements of the healthcare facility.

Are modular walls suitable for patient rooms?

Yes. They provide continuous, cleanable surfaces, integrate services provisions and open for maintenance. On wards with many identical rooms, manufacturing at the plant ensures every room matches the last and shortens the works on site.

Does ADAM also supply modular bathrooms for patient rooms?

Yes. As well as patient rooms, the ADAM healthcare range includes modular bathrooms, together with corridors, clinics and operating theatres.