Abstract
Purpose: As the structure of the disease has been changed and the infectious disease has been increased, the demand for diagnostic examination has been increasing. So, the department of laboratory medicine in hospital has playing the important role accounting for about nineteen percent of total medical expenses in korea. This study is to investigate the laboratory function and spatial composition of the department and figure out the space area and space organization. Methods: Explore the literature review to identify the laboratory function. Limit to five cases of tertiary level general hospital having about a thousand bed and analyze the space layout and floor area to confirm the spatial composition. Classify the exam function and check the spatial composition and spatial organization. Results: This study allows 5 conclusions to be summarized. Laboratory medicine divided into nine part in regulation, but in space allocated into core lab, emergency lab and six part lab. Total laboratory area is $2,036m^2$ in average, and is composited with 60% for lab, 17% for office and 20% for public. Lab area per a bed presents $1.88m^2$. Microbiolgy and molecular lab area are getting large. Laboratory space organized into the four zone, like an entrance zone, core zone, rear zone and peripheral zone. Emergency and transfusion lab are allocated in entrance zone, hematology chemistry and immunology in core lab, microbiology and molecular lab in rear, support offices in peripheral zone. The most important point was to check the spatial composition of the Laboratory Medicine according to the inspection function. Implications: This study can be used as a useful data in planning and designing a Laboratory Medicine Department.