Every exam room will vary depending on the practice and the patients you’ll see, but they all have one thing in common—they’re a patient’s first stop. To properly diagnose and treat a patient, you must first speak with and examine them, which means your examination room needs to be stocked and ready. While the exact needs of your specific exam room may look a little different than others, below are some essential pieces of medical equipment and devices you need to have.
Essential Furniture
At its bare bones, every examination room needs an examination table and an exam stool. An examination table should be comfortable enough for patients to sit and recline on, and a stool should make it easier to sit and move around the patient during conversation. You should also consider providing guest seating for patients who want to bring a trusted friend or family member into the examination room.
And though it may seem like something only necessary for hospitals, you’ll also need to choose a good scrub sink to maintain a sterile environment. Examination lights, a small workstation desk, counters, and storage cabinets are also necessary exam room furniture.
Exam Equipment
Again, the exact equipment you need will look a little different depending on your area of practice. However, at the very least, you should have the basic equipment that a general practice exam room would have. These are things like stethoscopes, thermometers, otoscopes, blood pressure cuffs, oximeters, and other basic diagnostic equipment.
Once you have the basic equipment, you can start thinking of items you need that are specific to your practice. For example, an OB/GYN exam room would also need speculums, scales, lubrication warmers, and so on.
Exam Room Supplies
Exam room supplies are reusable items that you’ll have to continuously keep track of and stock up on. These are typically Class I medical devices such as tongue depressors, bandages, alcohol swabs, and patient gowns. However, you’ll also need to keep stock of personal protective equipment (PPE) like gloves and protective eyewear. Depending on your area of practice, you may also need specimen containers, urine sample storage, or blood drawing supplies.
Now that you know the basics of what medical equipment you need to have in your exam room, you can start focusing on your practice area’s specific needs. Building a relationship with similar facilities in your area and a medical equipment supplier can help you get the tools, equipment, and devices your facility needs.
