As an important part of general hospitals and specialized hospitals, the reception hall not only affects the overall professional image of medical institutions, but also directly affects the patient’s medical experience. With the improvement of people’s quality, the importance of the reception hall has become increasingly prominent. Now I will tell you from the industry experience of professional hospital furniture manufacturers that the height of the reception desk is not a randomly determined number, but the result of precise calculation based on factors such as ergonomics, barrier-free access, work efficiency and visual beauty. Next, I will analyze in detail why the height of the hospital reception desk is so important from key dimensions such as scene, material, and design.

Standard height of hospital reception desk Source: professional data

According to China’s “Barrier-free Design Specifications” and our rich experience in hospital furniture manufacturing, the height of the hospital reception desk is suitable:

• Main work area height: 75-85 cm (suitable for the average height of adults worldwide)

• Patient writing height: 105 cm ± 2 cm (convenient for patients to fill out forms)

• Writing area for people with disabilities: no more than 85 cm

It is particularly worth noting that the reception desks of specialized hospitals such as dental clinics and ophthalmology clinics generally adopt the “high and low table combination” design due to the need to integrate equipment storage systems. Data shows that patient satisfaction in clinics using this design is 25% higher than that of traditional designs.

The height of the reception desk will be different in different medical scenarios

 General hospital outpatient reception desk

• Recommended height: 78-85 cm

Features: Need to consider receiving multiple patients at the same time

Dental/ophthalmology clinic reception desk

• Recommended height: 75-82 cm

Features: Usually adopts an overall design, equipped with special equipment, and reserved storage space

 Children’s hospital reception desk

• Recommended height: 65-75 cm

Features: bright colors, rounded corners, safety first

High-end private hospital reception desk

• Recommended height: 80-85 cm

Features: mostly uses high-end materials such as textured stone, elegant shape

According to customer feedback, after the reception desk height was reduced from 90 cm to 82 cm, the patient complaint rate dropped by 20%, the treatment experience improved by 28%, the neck discomfort symptoms were also alleviated, and the number of employees was reduced by 31%.

The impact of marble on the height of the reception desk

As the preferred countertop material for high-end medical institutions, marble has some special requirements for height design:

• Thickness calculation: The thickness of conventional marble is 12-20 mm, which needs to be included in the total height of the reception desk.

• Support structure: Marble has high density and weight, and the box structure of the reception desk needs special reinforcement.

• Edge treatment: It is recommended to make a round edge with a radius of 5 mm, which is safe and beautiful, and not easy to hurt people.

The marble reception desk we designed for many high-end chain dental institutions around the world uses environmentally friendly EO-grade materials and uses steel bars inside, which not only ensures stability, but also controls the total height within the ideal range of 82 cm.

The height of the reception desk must meet ergonomic requirements

Based on a survey of more than 100 hospital reception desk staff, we summarized the size requirements of these key parts, hoping to be helpful to you.

• Keyboard height: 65-70 cm (consistent with the average height of adults worldwide)

• Socket height: 15 cm above the reception desk

• File placement area: within a 50 cm radius of the chest

• Work cabinet: Try to place it on the right side of the staff

After an ophthalmology hospital in South America adopted the reception desk we designed, the overall work efficiency of the staff increased by 25%, which was well received by patients.

The choice of materials will also affect the height of the reception desk

Now let’s take common materials as an example:

Marble： 80-85 cm Steady and high-end, suitable for high-end private hospitals and dental clinics

Artificial stone： 75-85 cm Mature craftsmanship, rich texture, suitable for general hospital outpatient clinics

Composite acrylic ：75-82 cm Economical and practical, can be made into various shapes, suitable for community medical centers

According to customer feedback, using the right materials to design a suitable reception desk can increase patients’ scores on the professionalism of medical institutions by 15-20%.

Industry development trend: Reception desk design is becoming more intelligent

With the development of society, smart reception desks are becoming more and more popular, and new requirements for height design are also put forward:

• Self-service terminal area: height 85-100 cm (standing operation)

•  Face recognition camera: installation height 120-150 cm

• Interactive screen: tilt 15-20 degrees, height 110-120 cm

The smart reception desk system we designed for a private hospital in Australia integrates new functions such as appointment registration, identity recognition, and payment, which greatly improves the patient experience and wins unanimous praise.

Through the analysis of the above dimensions, we recommend that you fully consider the following details when customizing the hospital reception desk:

•  Research first: record the pain points of existing hospital staff

• Plan again: determine the size and functional division of the reception desk based on the pain points

•Material selection: combine budget and government fire protection requirements

• Pay attention to matching: ensure the overall hospital design style is coordinated and unified

• Color selection: match according to design scheme and industry attributes

FRCH, as a professional manufacturer with more than 20 years of experience in the field of medical furniture, can provide:

• Free consultation on all issues of medical institutions regarding reception desks

• Mix and match schemes of multiple materials

• Designs that meet the latest industry standards

If necessary, please feel free to contact our sales team to obtain the latest exclusive hospital reception desk information. You can also visit our factory through video and have a professional team explain it to you.