Whether you’re an administrator, nurse, doctor, or any other member of the healthcare team, it’s important to know the types of signs needed to run a successful medical facility. This way, you’ll be able to make sure the patients and visitors are taken care of properly.
Essential Healthcare Signs
There are several types of signs required in medical facilities.
Wayfinding
Having a solid wayfinding system is critical for a healthcare facility with a diverse patient base. It’s important to provide patients with information relevant to their needs while simultaneously ensuring staff are aware of their surroundings. There are several ways to accomplish this.
One of the more common strategies is to use a colored sign system. This will help patients and staff navigate the medical facility while reducing confusion and providing a better sense of security. It is also a good idea to utilize signs in areas which are off-limits to patients like maintenance closets and operating rooms.
A great way to make a wayfinding system work well is to incorporate floor graphics. These can be used to highlight areas of your facility which need special attention and provide direction to staff and patients.
Informational Signs
One of the best ways to demonstrate your facility’s stance on health and safety is to display informative signs which speak to the latest healthcare trends. This includes the latest technological advances in medical treatment and patient care. Using these signs gives the patients and visitors a sense of safety in the treatment they will receive.
Informational signs can also serve to display hours of operation, post rules for the facility, display requirements for masks, and inform patients what they need before checking into the establishment.
ADA Signs
The Americans with Disabilities Act guarantees everyone has access to public locations regardless of disabilities. Part of this act is displaying proper signs in specific areas of the property. ADA signs include accessible parking signs in the garage and parking lots, tactile restroom signs with Braille, signs which identify the purpose of rooms, and highly visible exit signs.
No matter the function of the sign, it must meet certain requirements regarding text size, font, colors, location, texture, and use of the International Symbol of Accessibility. Here are some basic rules:
- The text must be large enough to read from a distance
- The text and background must have high-contrast colors
- The font must be sans serif
- The signs cannot be placed lower than 48 inches from the ground and no higher than 60 inches
- The sign must not have a glossy finish which can make it difficult to read
- Where required, the International Symbol of Accessibility must be resent on the sign
- The sign must include tactile images and text
- The sign must be in a well-lit location or illuminated externally
Contact us, FASTSIGNS® of Louisville, KY, today and let us help your medical facility with all the types of signs it needs to run smoothly and maintain ADA compliance.
