Whether you're remodeling an old office or opening a brand-new one, it's important to get the interior design just right.

The days of the cold, sterile doctor's office design are over. Now, it's possible to incorporate welcoming and visually appealing designs, all while remaining within a reasonable budget.

Still, it's easy to get a little carried away when planning your new office. So let's look at five mistakes to avoid when designing a new doctor's office.

1. Inadequate Reception Area Size

It's important to ensure that the reception area, as well as the business office area, are the right size.

The key to medical office interior design is convenience and efficiency. So, even for a small practice, it's crucial to have at least two separate stations in the reception area—one for check-in and another for check-out.

A doctor's office lobby design should also be an inviting one, with plenty of space for patients in the waiting area.

2. Bad Seating in the Waiting Area

Which brings us to our next doctor's office design no-no. Poor seating choice is one of the biggest doctor's office design mistakes you can make.

Avoid using sofas or couches. First, they take up an awful lot of space; second, unrelated people tend not to want to share them, so they end up wasting even more space.

Opt instead for individual chairs with sturdy armrests, which enable an easier liftoff for older patients.

3. Inefficient Traffic Pattern

Medical building designs should always incorporate an appropriate traffic flow.

This means keeping the "heart" of the doctor's office—the exam rooms, operating theaters, etc.—screened off from the reception and waiting areas. That way, physicians can move with ease and avoid distractions.

A good office layout will let the physician walk patients out and hand them off to the front desk without getting waylaid by waiting patients and drawn into distracting conversations.

4. Not Taking Advantage of Digital Technology

Another mistake in a doctor's office design is to not take advantage of recent advances in digital and other technologies.

While some of these advances may seem strange and newfangled, they can contribute a great deal to office design. Digital healthcare kiosks, for instance, can be installed to improve efficiency. Patients can use them to check themselves in and out.

New technological advances are constantly reshaping healthcare, so it's important to utilize an office design that makes the most of changing medical technology.

5. Poorly Designed Exam Rooms

Finally, it's critical to have exam rooms that contribute as much as possible to a positive patient experience.

You don't want to have a poorly configured, inefficient exam room with outdated and unergonomic equipment and seating. Focus on accessibility, extra space and seating for family members, whiteboards or information display monitors, and an emphasis on multipurpose design.

Get the Right Doctor's Office Design for You

Choosing the best doctor's office design depends on the type of practice and how best to utilize the office space. But there are certain universals, and avoiding the five mistakes listed above can go a long way to ensuring that your office stands out from the crowd.

Contact us today, and learn how we can help you create a superior healing environment.