Hospitals are not typical buildings: the TV system must run 24/7, coexist with medical equipment and be maintained without disturbing patients. Specify these requirements at design stage.
| Topic | Typical building | Hospital |
|---|---|---|
| Operation | Daytime outages acceptable | 24/7 with spares |
| Power | Normal supply | Hospital backup power and UPS |
| Coax | Standard | High shielding, compression connectors |
| Fire safety | Building code | Low-smoke halogen-free where specified |
| Repair access | Enter rooms by appointment | Serviceable from outside patient rooms |
| Cleaning | General | TVs, remotes and arms withstand disinfectants |
Critical care and operating rooms follow hospital rules for electronics; isolation rooms minimise in-room service; private and international rooms need foreign channels; shared wards may need pillow speakers.
