Designing healing environments: A literature review on the benefits of healing gardens for children in healthcare facilities and the urgent need for policy implementation
2023
Land
Journal Article
Issue 5
Volume 12
Pages 971
Author(s): Din, S. K.-J., Russo, A., Liversedge, J.
Numerous studies have shown the benefits of nature in healthcare environments. Healing gardens have been of particular interest in healthcare design, but research on these settings tends to focus on outcomes for older adults. Healing gardens may support positive outcomes for children as well, including physical, mental, and emotional health.
Added May 2023
The impact of physical environments on outpatient mental health recovery: A design-oriented qualitative study of patient perspectives
2023
PLOS ONE
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 18
Pages e0283962
Author(s): Sui, T. Y., McDermott, S., Harris, B., Hsin, h.
Patient-centered (or human-centered) design approaches have helped designers to better understand patient needs and expectations during mental health treatment. Previous studies show evidence that the physical environment has an impact on the human experience, and the importance of environments that support feelings all humans strive for, including normalcy, safety, control, and belonging.
Added May 2023
A qualitative study of hospital interior environments during the COVID-19 pandemic
2023
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 20
Pages 3271
Author(s): Bae, S.
There is a substantial body of research on the relationship between the physical environment and human health, and more recently, a growing understanding around how the healthcare environment impacts users, such as healthcare personnel.
Added February 2023
Coping and caregiving: Leveraging environmental design to moderate stress among healthcare workers in the emergency department setting
2023
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 16
Pages 261-277
Author(s): Bosch, S. J., Valipoor, S., Alakshendra, A., De Portu, G., Mohammadigorji, S., Rittenbacher, D., Black, K., Calienes, E.
Research demonstrates that healthcare work is demanding and emergency departments (EDs) are known to be particularly stressful. There is a lack of information about relationships between the built environment and the behaviors clinicians use to cope with work-related stress.
Added February 2023
Effects of the physical environment on children and families in hospital-based emergency departments: A systematic literature review
2023
Journal of Environmental Psychology
Journal Article
Author(s): Gripko, M., Joseph, A., MohammadiGorji, S.
The emergency department (ED) environment is often a very stressful place, especially for young children and their families. Previous studies show that highly stimulating environments may increase anxiety. There are many complex relationships among the physical environment and healthcare outcomes in the emergency department, and themes in this study include control, positive distractions, family and social supports, and designing for a safe and comfortable experience.
Added February 2023
The psychological impact of the workplace environment in critical care A qualitative exploration
2021
Human Factors in Healthcare
Journal Article
Author(s): Grailey, K., Leon-Villapalos, C., Murray, E., Brett, S. J.
Researchers acknowledge the intersection of cultural and environmental elements of intensive care units and resulting staff perceptions of those elements. Single patient rooms, varying levels of visibility, and workflow issues are just a few of the environmental conditions that have an impact on clinical staff.
Added January 2023
Analysis of functional layout in emergency departments (ED). Shedding light on the free standing emergency department (FSED) model
2022
Applied Sciences
Journal Article
Issue 10
Volume 12
Pages 5099
Author(s): Brambilla, A., Mangili, S., Das, M., Lal, S., Capolongo, S.
Research shows that emergency departments (EDs) are facing overcrowding, increasing patient acuity, and short staffing, which all are impacting wait times to be seen and patient satisfaction scores.
Added December 2022
Leveraging discrete event simulation modeling to evaluate design and process improvements of an emergency department
2022
Journal of Design for Resilience in Architecture and Planning
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 3
Pages 397-408
Author(s): Zamani, Z.
Research shows that emergency departments (EDs) are frequently challenged by high patient volumes, unpredictable surges, and emergency care providers who may be at increased risk for burnout and mental distress. Furthermore, longer wait times have been associated with an increased potential for adverse events and patient mortality.
Added December 2022
Operating room design using agent-based simulation to reduce room obstructions
2023
Health Care Management Science
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 26
Pages 261-278
Author(s): Taaffe, K., Ferrand, Y. B., Khoshkenar, A., Fredendall, L., San, D., Rosopa, P., Joseph, A.
Research shows that the operating room layout and design can play an integral role in how a procedure is carried out and how flow disruptions can be minimized to optimize outcomes. Despite past research aimed toward improving room layout and providing recommendations to minimize surgical site infections, there remains a lack of evidence demonstrating how these physical environment factors affect safety and efficiency performance.
Added December 2022
Using an accessible room multisensory stimulation environment to reduce dementia associated behaviors
2022
Journal of Long-Term Care
Journal Article
Author(s): Prince, D. M., Fogarty, K. J., VanGeest, J. B., Eberth, S. D.
A growing body of literature supports using multisensory stimulation environment (MSSE) rooms to improve Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD). While enclosed MSSE applications have been tested, due to restrictions for enclosed-room access and caregiver shortages there is a need to evaluate outcomes associated with open-access MSSE areas.
Added December 2022
The effect of sound in the dental office: Practices and recommendations for quality assurance: A narrative review
2022
Dentistry Journal
Journal Article
Issue 12
Volume 10
Pages 228
Author(s): Antoniadou, M., Tziovara, P., Antoniadou, C.
Research shows that the dental office environment exposes individuals to a high degree of sound during care. Sound can be perceived negatively, called noise, or can be considered positive, such as music therapy. The dental office can be an environment of high anxiety for patients.
Added December 2022
Efficacy of violet–blue light to inactive microbial growth
2022
Scientific Reports
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 12
Pages 20179
Author(s): Amodeo, D., Lucarelli, V., De Palma, I., Puccio, A., Nante, N., Cevenini, G., Messina, G.
Research demonstrates that certain lights have antimicrobial properties. Violet-blue light at 405 nm (VBL405) has a broad-spectrum effect on organisms that frequently cause hospital-acquired infections including Clostridium difficile, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes, and various Mycobacterium.
Added November 2022
Research methods used in evidence-based design: An analysis of five years of research articles from the HERD Journal
2023
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 16
Pages 56-82
Author(s): Battisto, D., Li, X., Dong, J., Hall, L., Blouin, J.
Few studies report on the current state of research in health environment studies. Understanding common research methods can help inform future studies and identify best practices.
Added November 2022
Noise exposure and quality of life among nurses
2022
Workplace Health & Safety
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 70
Pages 207-219
Author(s): McCullagh, M. C., Xu, J., Dickson, V. V., Tan, A., Lusk, S. L.
Research shows that the effects of high-noise environments extend beyond hearing damage. Excessive noise levels can negatively impact cardiovascular health, mental health, sleep, and lead to tinnitus. Healthcare work environments are inherently noisy due to paging systems, telephones, monitor alarms, treatment equipment, and ice machines.
Added November 2022
Implementation of a navigation system: Economic verification in a local hospital.
2022
PLoS ONE
Journal Article
Issue 10
Volume 17
Pages e0276996
Author(s): Majerova, I., Michna, P., Lebiedzik, M., Nevima, J., Tureckova, K.
Wayfinding is a long-standing challenge in healthcare facilities. Multiple studies have evaluated the cost-benefit of traditional wayfinding systems with respect to cost (e.g., staff time spent direction giving) and benefits (e.g., improved patient experience).
Added November 2022
Ventilation performance evaluation of a negative-pressurized isolation room for emergency departments
2022
Healthcare
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 10
Pages 193
Author(s): Wang, F., Permana, I., Chaerasari, C., Lee, K., Chang, T., Rakshit, D.
Since the emergence of COVID-19, healthcare facilities are expected to be well equipped and flexible in their efforts to both treat patients and protect staff. Emergency Department (ED) isolation rooms are considered a potentially effective way to protect both staff and infected patients; however, further research is needed to understand how best to design an isolation room for an ED.
Added August 2022
Energy analysis and forecast of a major modern hospital
2022
Buildings
Journal Article
Issue 8
Volume 12
Pages 1116
Author(s): Liu, A., Ma, Y., Miller, W., Xia, B., Zedan, S., Bonney, B.
Globally, roughly 4.4% of all carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions come from the health sector. In some countries, the public health sector may regularly be the leading energy user and emitter. There is diverging evidence to suggest whether regional climate patterns or building occupancy have a greater impact on energy use within healthcare facilities.
Added August 2022
A comparison of floor surfaces for injury prevention in care settings: impact forces and horizontal pulling force required to move wheeled equipment
2020
Osteoporosis International
Journal Article
Issue 12
Volume 31
Pages 2383-2394
Author(s): Keenan, B. E., Hallas, K., Drahota, A. K., Evans, S. L.
Injury-inducing falls frequently occur in both care homes and hospitals. One way to prevent fall-related injuries is shock-absorbing flooring. The authors of this study note that at the time of writing, there are no established standards for what type of flooring is most effective for injury prevention.
Added July 2022
Emergency psychiatric assessment, treatment, and healing (EmPATH) unit decreases hospital admission for patients presenting with suicidal ideation in rural America
2022
Academic Emergency Medicine
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 29
Pages 142-149
Author(s): Kim, A. K., Vakkalanka, J. P., Van Heukelom, P., Tate, J., Lee, S.
The number of patients in Emergency Departments (EDs) with mental health issues and suicide ideation has been on the rise, and studies outline the impact on outcomes such as delays in care and ED overcrowding and boarding. Emergency Psychiatric Assessment, Treatment, and Healing (EmPATH) units support increased access to mental healthcare with reduced burdens on EDs.
Added February 2022
Patient and clinician engagement with health information in the primary care waiting room: A mixed methods case study
2019
Journal of Public Health Research
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 8
Pages 1476
Author(s): Penry Williams, C., Elliott, K., Gall, J., Woodward-Kron, R.
Health literacy (i.e., the ability to understand medical information) is a big part of how people make decisions about their health. The availability of health information in waiting rooms has the potential to provide education to people who may not otherwise have access.
Added February 2022
