Where can I find the FGI Guidelines for outpatient facilities?
The outpatient requirements live in the FGI Code for Planning and Design of Outpatient Facilities (formerly Guidelines for Design and Construction of Outpatient Facilities) — available through FGI OneSource, in print, or in digital format, with expanded guidance in the companion FGI Handbook for Outpatient Facilities (digital subscription). It’s one of FGI’s three facility-type documents, covering clinics, ambulatory surgery centers, imaging centers, and other outpatient settings.
What’s in the outpatient document
- General and specialty clinics — exam rooms (80 sq ft minimum clear floor area), treatment rooms, procedure rooms
- Ambulatory surgery — operating rooms, pre/post-op, sterile processing scaled to the setting
- Imaging — modality-specific room requirements, shielding coordination
- Common elements — handwashing, waiting areas, support spaces, building systems
- New in 2026 — a chapter on short-term outpatient care facilities, plus revised planning requirements for procedure rooms
Outpatient vs. hospital document: which applies?
The dividing line is the facility type and licensure, not the procedure being performed. A procedure room in a hospital follows the Hospital Code; the same procedure in a freestanding clinic follows the Outpatient Code. Hospital-based outpatient departments can be the gray zone — the AHJ determines which document governs, so ask early.
Edition caution
The 2026 Outpatient Code introduced structural changes (new chapters, revised procedure-room planning). If your state still enforces 2018 or 2022, design to that edition — and note where the 2026 changes will likely land when the state updates, so the design doesn’t need rework mid-adoption.
Match the document to the licensure, not the procedure.
See the FGI 2026 compliance guide and FGI exam room size requirements.
FAQ
What is the FGI outpatient facilities document called now?
The FGI Code for Planning and Design of Outpatient Facilities (renamed from “Guidelines” in the 2026 edition).
Does the outpatient document cover ambulatory surgery centers?
Yes — ambulatory surgery, imaging, clinics, and other outpatient settings, with requirements scaled to the setting.
Where do I buy the outpatient document?
Through FGI OneSource, in print, or digital — plus the Handbook subscription for expanded guidance.