Benefit-Cost Analysis of 2022 FGI Guidelines Identifies Many Benefits and Minimal Cost Increases

The 2022 edition of the Facility Guidelines Institute’s Guidelines for Design and Construction documents offer comprehensive and current design and construction standards that balance patient and resident safety with a cost-effective care environment.

State governments and other entities looking to adopt and use a new edition of the FGI documents often want to know how changes from the previous edition might affect design and construction costs. The FGI Guidelines includes documents on hospitals; outpatient facilities; and residential health, care, and support facilities, the content of which is developed by the Health Guidelines Revision Committee (HGRC).

FGI conducts a revision process that results in a new edition of its three documents every four years. Participating as an integral part of the revision cycle is the Benefit-Cost Committee (BCC). Comprised of a select number of HGRC members and a few outside experts, the BCC reviews all proposals to change existing Guidelines content and all comments on the drafts of the next edition that are put out for public review. The BCC’s input is then provided to the HGRC as they consider whether to accept, accept with modification, or reject proposals and comments submitted by the public and other committee members.

Once the Guidelines revision cycle is complete and the new documents finalized, the BCC prepares a report on the changes from the last edition to the next. The 2022 BCC has determined that improvements in the new edition support increased flexibility in facility design, reduce risk, and provide greater consistency between documents, making them easier to navigate for users who design a variety of building types. The committee also determined that capital costs for some types of design and construction projects may increase somewhat. However, they believe this effect will be mitigated by improvements in operational efficiency, patient care, and patient and staff safety; potential reductions in operating costs and duplicate functions; and improved patient and material flows.

Download the BCC report on the benefits and potential costs of changes from the 2018 Guidelines edition to the 2022 edition.