Individualizing hospital care for children and young people with learning disabilities: it's the little things that make the difference
2015
Journal of Pediatric Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 30
Pages 78-86
Author(s): Oulton, K., Sell, D., Kerry, S., Gibson, F.
People with learning disabilities (LDs) represent one of the largest groups with a lifelong disability, reaching nearly 60 million people worldwide. In England alone, it is estimated that 1.5 million people live with an LD, 286,000 of them being children and young people ages 0-17. It has been found that those with LD have more hospital admissions and greater hospital stays than those children without.
Added November 2016
The ability of environmental healthcare design strategies to impact event related anxiety in pediatric patients: A comprehensive systematic review
Author(s): Norton-Westwood, D.
Healthcare settings such as hospitals or dentists’ offices have been known to contribute to the anxiety often experienced by patients receiving treatment. Anxiety has been linked to various health concerns, manifesting both physiologically and psychologically, that can result in prolonged hospital stays and other complications.
Added June 2016
Effects of an Assisted Living Facility Specifically Designed for Individuals with Memory Disorders: A Pilot Study
2014
Journal of Housing For the Elderly
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 28
Pages 399-409
Author(s): Springate, B. A., Talwar, A. K., Tremont, G.
A 2007 study estimated that 14% of individuals over the age of 71 have dementia, and many of those individuals require some level of support with daily life. Furthermore, many of these individuals eventually move to assisted living (AL) facilities or nursing homes as they begin to require more assistance. Many people choose AL facilities due to pricing or the desire to be assisted rather than nursed. Previous studies have indicated that the physical environment of nursing homes can influence the overall well-being of residents with dementia. However, relatively few studies have assessed the effects of AL facility environments on the well-being of dementia patients.
Added June 2016
Impact of Neonatal Intensive Care Bed Configuration on Rates of Late-Onset Bacterial Sepsis and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Colonization
2015
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology
Journal Article
Issue 10
Volume 36
Pages 1173-1182
Author(s): Julian, S., Burnham, C.-A., Sellenriek, P., Shannon, W. D., Hamvas, A., Tarr, P. I., Warner, B. B.
Late-onset infections are a continuing issue, causing notable levels of morbidity and mortality in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), while also increasing the length of patient stay and financial burdens on healthcare institutions. Few previous studies have tested the hypothesis that infants in single-patient rooms have a lower risk of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization, late-onset sepsis, and death.
Added June 2016
Design in mind: eliciting service user and frontline staff perspectives on psychiatric ward design through participatory methods
2016
Journal of Mental Health
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 25
Pages 114-121
Author(s): Csipke, E., Papoulias, C., Vitoratou, S., Williams, P., Rose, D., Wykes, T.
Previous studies have shown repeatedly that the physical design of psychiatric wards has a significant impact on patient recovery and well-being. It has also been found that staff and patients often express conflicting expectations regarding the design of psychiatric wards. Therefore, it is important to better understand different stakeholder perceptions of the same environment so that the most effective design decisions can be made. One possible way of doing this would be using the “SURE model,” which is a participatory method involving collaborations with service users during all stages of the study.
Added June 2016
Meeting the Needs of Visually Impaired People Living in Lifetime Homes
2016
Journal of Housing For the Elderly
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 30
Pages 123-140
Author(s): Rooney, C., Hadjri, K., Rooney, M., Faith, V., McAllister, K., Craig, C.
Lifetime Homes standards (LTHS) are a group of mandatory public-sector housing design interventions used in the U.K. They attempt to provide a model that ensures adaptable and accessible homes for the entire duration of an occupant’s stay. Changes in one’s physical environment, much like the ones implemented by LTHS, could help reduce the impact of disabilities such as visual impairment, and could help give patients different degrees of communal living with some level of independence.
Added May 2016
Impact of the Physical Environment of Residential Health, Care, and Support Facilities (RHCSF) on Staff and Residents A Systematic Review of the Literature
2015
Environment and Behavior
Journal Article
Issue 10
Volume 48
Pages 1203-1241
Author(s): Joseph, A., Choi, Y.-S., Quan, X.
Strategies related to the design of the built environment should be considered within the context of the culture of the organization and the resident population. This study of the physical environment of residential health, care, and support facilities addresses the range of settings and population, where other studies have been lacking. The literature review strongly suggests that the built environment is an important component of care provided in residential care settings.
Added May 2016
Profile of inpatient falls in patients with dementia: A prospective comparative study between 100% single rooms and traditional multibedded wards
2016
Journal of Clinical Gerontology and Geriatrics
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 7
Pages 87-92
Author(s): Knight, S., Singh, I.
A previous study estimates that the number of people with dementia in the U.K. could reach over 1 million by the year 2025. This possibility places added pressure on U.K. hospitals to develop safer methods for taking care of patients with dementia. Dementia is associated with impaired mobility, and previous studies have shown that individuals with dementia are two to three times more likely to fall. Inpatient falls (IFs) account for nearly two-fifths of the patient safety incidents reported to the National Reporting and Learning System, and the risk of IF is highest in single-patient rooms. There are very few studies that examine the impact of dementia and IF in single rooms as compared with traditional multi-bed wards.
Added May 2016
The design and initial evaluation of visual cues in carpets to assist walking
2016
The Journal of The Textile Institute
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 107
Pages 376-385
Author(s): McNeil, S. J., Tapp, L. S.
One way to reduce the occurrence of indoor falls for both elderly people and other individuals is to improve the design of floor coverings so that they can help create a safer walking environment. A growing number of studies are showing that the design of products such as carpets can specifically help older people lead more productive and independent lives by empowering them through safer opportunities for mobility.
Added May 2016
Sleep in Hospitalized Elders: A Pilot Study
2012
Geriatric Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 31
Pages 263-172
Author(s): Missildine, K., Bergstrom, N., Meininger, J., Richards, K. & Foreman, M. D.
Sleep complaints are common among elders at home and in the hospital. These complaints include insomnia, difficulty falling sleep, and difficulty maintaining sleep, yet adequate sleep is commonly considered a necessary prerequisite to healing and recovery from illness.
Added January 2016
Eye Masks and Earplugs Improve Patient’s Perception of Sleep
2012
Nursing in Critical Care
Journal Article
Issue 5
Volume 17
Pages 247-235
Author(s): Jones, C. & Dawson, D.
Sleep disruption is commonly identified as a feature of admission to critical care units. The environment, level of intervention, and patient morbidity are understood to influence patients’ poor experiences of sleep in critical care. This study discusses the impact of the built environment on Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients’ sleep.
Added January 2016
Designing a “Think-Along Dwelling” for People with Dementia: A Co-Creation Project Between Health Care and the Building Services Sector
2013
Journal of Housing for the Elderly
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 27
Pages 299-332
Author(s): Van Hoof, J., Blom, M. M., Post, H. N. A., & Bastein, W. L
Many of the elderly prefer to age-in-place. However, if one of the elderly developments dementia, particular challenges may be posed when designing, constructing, or retrofitting an existing home environment. In the Netherlands about two-thirds of the people with dementia live at home. This is the setting for this study.
Added January 2016
Multisensory Installations in Residential Aged-Care Facilities: Increasing Novelty and Encouraging Social Engagement Through Modest Environmental Changes
2014
Journal of Gerontological Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 9
Volume 40
Pages 20-31
Author(s): Scott, T. L., Masser, B. M., & Pachana, N. A.
When the environment of aged-care facilities is perceived as more aesthetically pleasing, it is positively related to improved mood and well-being for residents and staff. Unfortunately, most residential care environments for the elderly are planned around their physical needs.
Added January 2016
Impact of healthcare design on patients’ perception of a rheumatology outpatient infusion room: an interventional pilot study
2015
Clinical Rheumatology
Journal Article
Issue 7
Volume 34
Pages 1249-1254
Author(s): Bukh, G., Tommerup, A. M. M., Madsen, O. R.
Evidence-based healthcare design is a concept aimed at reducing stress factors in the physical environment for the benefit of patients and the medical staff. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of room modifications on patients’ perception of an outpatient infusion room used for treating rheumatologic diseases. Patient and nurse interviews, a staff workshop and field...
Added December 2015
Intensive care unit design and mortality in trauma patients
2014
Journal of Surgical Research
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 190
Pages 640-646
Author(s): Pettit, N. R., Wood, T., Lieber, M., O'Mara, M. S.
A primary concern for many patient care units is the question of where to place more seriously ill patients within the space that is available. Questions regarding the impact of architectural features, such as the availability of natural lighting, or adjacency to nurse stations on patient health outcomes should be further explored so that increasingly effective healthcare environments can be established. Currently, no data exist demonstrating whether trauma patients receiving treatment in intensive care unit (ICU) beds with poor visibility from a central nursing station experience health outcomes different from those in rooms that may be more visible from the nursing station.
Added December 2015
A study protocol for performance evaluation of a new academic intensive care unit facility: impact on patient care
2013
BMJ Open
Journal Article
Issue 7
Volume 3
Pages e003134
Author(s): Ferri, M., Zygun, D. A., Harrison, A., Stelfox, H. T.
Added November 2015
Impact of NICU design on environmental noise
2014
Journal of Neonatal Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 20
Pages 77-81
Author(s): Szymczak, S. E., Shellhaas, R. A.
Literature shows that preterm infants can be adversely affected by sounds in a hospital. Yet completely quiet environments may potentially limit a much-needed exposure to language. This presents a challenge to designing an optimal sound environment in NICUs. This study examined the acoustic variance in open bay and single room NICUs and found that there was little variability in the acoustic environment of the two NICU models. It also found that the single room NICU had longer periods of silence than the open bay NICU.
Added July 2015
A companionship between strangers – the hospital environment as a challenge in patient–patient interaction in oncology wards
2014
Journal of Advanced Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 70
Pages 395-404
Author(s): Larsen, L. S., Larsen, B. H., Birkelund, R.
The authors allude to existing literature indicating the healing and therapeutic effect of hospital environments and the increasing evidence between healthcare environments and patient outcomes. In this study the authors explore through observations and interviews of patients how the hospital environment impacts the interaction between hospitalized cancer patients.
Added May 2015
Outdoor Wandering Parks for Persons with Dementia
2013
Outdoor Environments for People with Dementia
Book Section
Author(s): Cohen-Mansfield, J., Rodiek, S., Schwarz, B.
Outdoor spaces in nursing homes are documented to be beneficial to residents. The author alludes to literature to highlight the specific advantages exposure to different types of outdoor spaces brings to the daily lives of people suffering from dementia.
Added December 2014
A plasma display window? – the shifting baseline problem in a technologically mediated natural world
2009
Journal of Environmental Psychology
Journal Article
Author(s): Kahn, P. H. Jr., Friedman, B., Brian Gill, Hagman, J., Severson, R. L., Freier, N. G., Feldman, E. N., Carrere, S., Stolyar, A.
The general purpose of this study is to test the physical and psychological effects of experiencing nature through a technology medium. Past research has shown that contact with nature can lead to “enjoyment, satisfaction, and increased levels of satisfaction with one’s home, one’s job, and with life in general” (Kaplan & Kaplan, 1989, p. 173). So in an fast-changing world of technology-mediated healthcare, the question posed in this study revolves around whether simulated nature scenes can elicit the same health benefits that real nature has shown to produce.
Added November 2014
