| Title |
Simulation-Based Estimation of Recommended Net Effective Areas for Key Clinical Spaces in Modular Hospitals |
| Authors |
Eo-Jin Lee ; Woo-Jae Kim ; Yong-Han Ahn |
| DOI |
https://dx.doi.org/10.6106/KJCEM.2026.27.4.028 |
| Keywords |
Modular hospital; Net effective area; Usability evaluation; Isotonic regression |
| Abstract |
This study investigates the relationship between the Net Effective Area (NEA) of key spaces in modular hospitals and healthcare staff usability, and derives recommended room areas under normal and emergency conditions. Full-scale clinical simulations were conducted at three modular hospital sites involving physicians, nurses, paramedics, patient-role participants, and observers. Usability was rated on a 7-point Likert scale for four core spaces: triage room, nurse station, treatment room, and observation ward. NEA was defined as the total room area excluding fixed furniture and bed footprints. Spearman’s rank correlation confirmed a positive monotonic relationship between NEA and usability. Isotonic regression was used to estimate NEA-rating curves and derive recommended areas. Emergency scenarios generally required larger NEAs than normal scenarios, and some recommended values exceeded international minimum guidelines. Cluster bootstrap resampling (B = 1,000) supported the internal stability of the estimates. These findings provide quantitative references for modular hospital planning and disaster-responsive layout design. |