The Role of the Physical Environment in the Hospital of the 21st Century: A Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity
2004
The Center for Health Design
Report
Author(s): Ulrich, R. S., Zimring, C., Quan, X., Joseph, A., Choudhary, R.
Added December 2022
The small house model to support older adults in long-term care
2022
Canadian Journal of Health Technologies
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 2
Pages 1-22
Author(s): Longstaff, W., Filkowski, J., Severn, M.
Added February 2022
Exploring the spatial arrangement of patient rooms for minimum nurse travel in hospital nursing units in Korea
2020
Frontiers of Architectural Research
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 9
Pages 711-725
Author(s): Lee, J., Lee, H., Shepley, M. M.
Studies have shown that when nurses have to walk long distances, time at the patient bedside is reduced and nursing fatigue and stress increase. The arrangement of patient rooms within a nursing unit can impact nurse well-being and optimize patient care.
Added September 2020
Deliberate Perioperative Systems Design Improves Operating Room Throughput
2005
Anesthesiology: The Journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 103
Pages 406-418
Author(s): Sandberg, W. S., Daily, B., Egan, M., Stahl, J. E., Goldman, J. M., Wiklund, R. A., Rattner, D.
Operating rooms (ORs) are complex and sensitive environments that are typically expensive to operate and maintain. Minimally invasive surgical procedures are becoming increasingly more prevalent in many OR environments, while the costs of operating and maintaining OR environments are simultaneously increasing.
Added November 2018
Analysis of Departmental Area in Contemporary Hospitals: Calculation Methodologies & Design Factors in Major Patient Care Departments
Author(s): Allison, D., Hamilton, D. K.
Ratios used to calculate proposed departmental gross square footage constitute key information used in the process of programming, planning, and design. The ratio of net [usable] square footage to departmental gross square footage is commonly called the “net-to-gross ratio.” It is used by programmers, planners, and consultants to project the total area of proposed departments based on programmed net square feet required to perform the proposed workload of the department.
Added April 2018
Emergency Nurses’ Perceptions of Efficiency and Design: Examining ED Structure, Process, and Outcomes
2017
Journal of Emergency Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 44
Pages 274–279
Author(s): Fay, L., Carll-White, A., Real, K.
Emergency departments (EDs) must work to improve efficiency in order to maintain standards of safe and effective care. Physical structures can significantly impact efficiency, and processes defined as the activities of emergency care can also play a role in efficiency. Outcomes are the perceptions of efficiency along with satisfaction to work or be treated in the designed environment. Rarely has the physical environment been studied in an emergency department especially when examining the relationships of structure, process, and outcome. Using a hierarchical linear regression the authors determined that all structures and processes examined were associated with efficiency and design.
Added November 2017
Evaluation of a sound environment intervention in an ICU: A feasibility study
2018
Australian Critical Care
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 31
Pages 59–70
Author(s): Johansson, L., Lindahl, B., Knutsson, ., Ögren, M., Persson Waye, K., Ringdal, M.
Long-term studies measuring acoustics in ICU environments is lacking. This information is important to understand the effects of sound on seriously ill patients and those suffering from ICU delirium.
Added June 2017
Noise Reduction in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Quality Improvement Initiative
2017
American Journal of Medical Quality
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 33
Pages 177-184
Author(s): Ahamed, M. F., Campbell, D., Horan, S., Rosen, O.
Elevated noise levels are regularly associated with adverse health effects among patients within healthcare environments. Infants are particularly vulnerable to elevated noise levels due to the immaturity of their auditory pathways, implying that neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) have an even greater responsibility for reducing noise levels.
Added June 2017
Shifting Landscapes: The Impact of Centralized and Decentralized Nursing Station Models on the Efficiency of Care
2017
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 5
Volume 10
Pages 80-84
Author(s): Fay, L., Carll-White, A., Schadler, A., Isaacs, K., Real, K.
As healthcare facilities continue to implement evidence-based designs and increase in overall size, there is a lack of research examining how these changes affect the efficiency of patient care processes. Along with the physical growth of modern healthcare environments, advances in medical technology have increased the amount of multitasking required of nurses and other healthcare workers.
Added May 2017
Balancing the Human Touch with the Need for Integrating Technology in Ambulatory Surgical Environments: Barriers and Facilitators to Nursing Work and Care Team Interactions
2017
Journal of Interior Design
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 42
Pages 39-65
Author(s): Joseph, A., Wingler, D., Zamani, Z.
There is a lack of information to support the design of the rapidly growing number of ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs). These centers have become more popular as trends in reimbursement, technology, and services have evolved. Research is needed to inform how the built environment of ambulatory surgical environments impacts the critical interactions between people, supplies, and equipment.
Added February 2017
Radical systems change. Innovative strategies to improve patient satisfaction.
2003
The Journal of Ambulatory Care Management
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 26
Pages 159-174
Author(s): Rave, N., Geyer, M., Reeder, B., Ernst, J., Goldberg, L., Barnard, C.
Added August 2016
Building spatial layout that supports healthier behavior of office workers: a new performance mandate for sustainable buildings
2014
Work
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 49
Pages 373-380
Author(s): Hua, Y., Yang, E.
Added May 2016
Leading Change During an Inpatient Critical Care Unit Expansion
2008
Journal of Nursing Administration
Journal Article
Issue 11
Volume 38
Pages 461-467
Author(s): Braungardt, T. & Fought, S. G.
Acute care hospitals are changing rapidly to address economic and technologic advancements and meet community needs. The authors describe one medical center’s use of Kotter’s work on leading change to expand the neuroscience intensive care unit from 10 to 30 beds to meet community needs, improve hospital efficiencies, and increase bed capacity.
Added January 2016
How Can We Help Staff transition to a New NICU design?
2015
Journal of Neonatal Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 5
Volume 21
Pages 180-185
Author(s): Broom, M., Gardner, A., Kecskes, Z. , Kildea, S.
This article highlights the results of a literature review undertaken to identify transition strategies for staff who moved from an open plan unit layout to a single-room design (SRD) neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) layout.
Added January 2016
Destination Bedside
2012
The Journal of Nursing Administration
Journal Article
Issue 5
Volume 42
Pages 256-265
Author(s): Watkins, N., Kennedy, M., Lee, N., O’Neill, M., Peavey, E., DuCharme, M., & Padula, C.
Patient-centered care (PCC) has been at the core of healthcare reform. Improvements and advancements in Healthcare Information Technology (HIT), Electronic Health Records and inpatient unit layout have been some means that aim to achieve PCC. Also key to PCC is the alleviation of medical errors, which HIT and related technology can help achieve.
Added January 2016
Measuring the Use of Examination Room Time in Oncology Clinics: A Novel Approach to Assessing Clinic Efficiency and Patient Flow
2014
Journal of Oncology Practice
Journal Article
Author(s): Hamel, L. M., Chapman, R., Eggly, S., Penner, L. A., Tkatch, R., Vichich, J., Albrecht, T. L.
Inefficient use of time can drain resources and impede effective clinic flow. Long wait times in oncology units often result in higher costs for both caregivers and patients, while patients also tend to experience increased stress and reduced overall satisfaction with their treatment. Long wait times have also been shown to directly and indirectly reduce patient adherence to recommended treatments.
Added December 2015
Design, Operation, and Safety of Single-Room Interventional MRI Suites: Practical Experience From Two Centers
2015
Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 41
Pages 34-43
Author(s): White, M. J., Thornton, J. S., Hawkes, D. J., Hill, D. L .G., Kitchen, N., Mancini, L., McEvoy, A. W., Razavi, R., Wilson, S., Yousry, T., Keevil, S. F.
Designing and operating healthcare spaces to accommodate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners presents a variety of challenges. These spaces are often populated with larger amounts of sensitive equipment than typical patient care units, while receiving a nearly equal amount of foot traffic.
Added December 2015
Centralized to hybrid nurse station: Communication and teamwork among nursing staff
2015
Journal of Nursing Education and Practice
Journal Article
Issue 12
Volume 5
Pages 34-41
Author(s): Zhang, Y., Soroken, L., Laccetti, M., Castillero, E. R. d., Konadu, A.
Nursing stations often act as the primary workspaces for various members of a healthcare team while patients aren’t being directly worked with. Centralized nursing stations can lead to higher rates of telephone and computer use and administrative tasks while decreasing time spent caring for patients. Conversely, decentralized nursing stations have been found to create feelings of isolation and poor communication among staff. To emphasize the positive aspects of both formats, the authors propose a hybrid nursing station design that features decentralized stations connected to centralized meeting spaces.
Added October 2015
Centralized and Decentralized Nurse Station Design: An Examination of Caregiver Communication, Work Activities, and Technology
2007
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 1
Pages 44-57
Author(s): Gurascio-Howard, L., Malloch, K.
Patients need to be close to a nurse (RN) for easy access to care and to save travel time. Centralized nurse stations are placed in one location to serve a group of patient rooms.
Added August 2015
From “Baby Barn” to the “Single Family Room Designed NICU”: A Report of Staff Perceptions One Year Post Occupancy
2010
Newborn and Infant Nursing Reviews
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 10
Pages 97-103
Author(s): Cone, S. K., Short, S., Gutcher, G.
Single Family Rooms (SFRs) are becoming an increasingly popular design model in the care of critically ill preterm infants. The advantages of this physical environment to the infant, family and care providers is well documented.
Added July 2015
