Pebble Partner St. Elizabeth Hospital Emergency Room Renovation
2010
Healthcare Design Magazine
Magazine Article
Issue 2
Volume 10
Pages 14-15
Author(s): Kusnierz, G., Babineau, F, JR, & Hogan, C
Added March 2013
Innovative design solutions: Second floor emergency department?
2010
Healthcare Design Magazine
Magazine Article
Issue 8
Volume 10
Pages 14-21
Author(s): Krug, S., Bertani, K., Barton, S. A.
Added March 2013
Designing a world-class children’s hospital by engaging a world-class city
2011
Healthcare Design Magazine
Magazine Article
Issue 3
Volume 11
Pages 24–24,26,28,30
Author(s): Komiske, B. K.
Added March 2013
The Application of Color in Healthcare Settings
Author(s): Bosch, S. J, , Cama, R., Edelstein, E, Malkin, J
Added November 2012
Contribution of the Designed Environment to Fall Risk in Hospitals
Author(s): Calkins, Margaret P, Biddle, Stacey, Biesan, Orion
Added November 2012
Resident outcomes in small-house nursing homes: A longitudinal evaluation of the initial green house program
2007
Journal of the American Geriatics Society
Journal Article
Issue 6
Volume 55
Pages 832-839
Author(s): Kane, R. A., Lum, T.Y., Cutler, L.J., Degenholtz, H.B., Yu, T.
Since 1995, there has been a huge emphasis on transforming the culture of long term care facilities as a way to improve the quality of care provided to elderly residents. The focus has shifted from a provider centered model to an individualized resident-centered model where the staffing, policies as well as the physical environment are designed to support the needs of the resident. There has been a movement towards designing physical environments that are smaller scale with more private rooms and baths and household-type neighborhoods for dining and occasional cooking. The Green House puts forth a set of principles to bring about this transformation and envisages a radically reconfigured nursing home.
Added November 2012
Lighting and perceptual cues: Effects on gait measures of older adults at high and low risk for falls
2011
BMC Geriatrics
Journal Article
Issue 49
Volume 11
Pages 1471-2318
Author(s): Figueiro, M., Plitnik, B., Rea, M., Gras, L., Rea, M. S.
The visual system plays an important role in maintaining balance while navigating the environment. Older adults often depend heavily on visual information to maintain balance and orientation due to age related changes that affect their vestibular system (contributes to balance and spatial orientation) and somatosensory system (that moderates sensations of touch, smell etc.). Even small reductions in visibility could severely impact their gait and balance and potentially result in a fall. Even in healthy older adults, gait becomes slower and step lengths become shorter under dim lighting conditions.
Added November 2012
Influence of nursing unit layout on staff communication and interaction patterns
2008
Doctoral Dissertation: Cornell University,
Thesis
Author(s): Dutta, R.
The quality and design of the built environment has acquired a very significant role in improving patient and staff satisfaction in terms of overall healthcare experience. There is evidence from health care and beyond that working in teams enhances an organization’s effectiveness, produce a better patient care both in terms of improving health delivery and staff motivation, and in superior patient outcomes. Communication among all team members of the groups is essential for the success of delivering healthcare services.
Added November 2012
Physical Work Environment: Testing an Expanded Model of Job Satisfaction in a Sample of Registered Nurses
2010
Nursing Research
Journal Article
Issue 6
Volume 59
Pages 441-451
Author(s): Djukic, M., Kovner, C., Budin, W. , Norman, R.
Retaining an adequate registered nurse (RN) workforce is critical for hospitals because it ensures delivery of quality patient care. The impact of personal, organizational, and economic factors on nurses’ job satisfaction has been extensively studied, however very few studies examined the effect or physical work environment, including perceptions of architectural, interior design and ambient features on job satisfaction. Rebuilding of U.S. hospitals without considering the impact of physical environment on RN job satisfaction, threatens to worse RN turnover.
Added November 2012
The sickening rug: A repeating static pattern that leads to motion-sickness like symptoms
2011
Perception
Journal Article
Author(s): Bonato, F., Bubka, A., Graveline, V.
Flooring is a prominent component of hospital design, with surprisingly little research on the subject. An issue that has not been researched is the impact of patterns on health and perception related issues. This paper undertakes a simulated exercise on the impact of viewing specific patterns on motion-sickness like symptons. Although there is some research on the impact of visual patterns on epilepsy patients, the effect on people without neurological disorders has not been explored.
Added November 2012
Outbreak of Invasive Aspergillus Infection in Surgical Patients, Associated with a Contaminated Air-Handling System
2003
Clinical Infectious Diseases
Journal Article
Issue 6
Volume 37
Pages 786-793
Author(s): Lutz, B. D., Jin, J., Rinaldi, M. G., Wickes, B. L., Huycke, M.
Surgical Site Infections are a prominent concern Operating Room design. In this study a specific outbreak of aspergillus infection in a hospital was investigated and linked back to the air quality conditions in the O.R. The study is significant because typically Aspergillus species are ubiquitous thermotolerant molds that rarely cause invasive infection.
Added November 2012
Enhancing a primary care environment: a case study of effects on patients and staff in a single general practice
2008
British Journal of General Practice
Journal Article
Issue 552
Volume 58
Pages 465-470
Author(s): Rice, G., Ingram, J., Mizan, J.
The stress and satisfaction of patients and staff are important healthcare outcomes. Patient satisfaction and stress strongly impacts patient health, the images of healthcare organizations, patient loyalty, patient retention and attraction, operating revenue, and profit margin. Staff stress and job satisfaction directly impacts the quality of patient care, work efficiency, and staff turnover intent.
Added November 2012
Physical Environment and Job Satisfaction in a Community Mental Health Center.
1977
Community Mental Health Journal
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 13
Pages 24-30
Author(s): Folkins, C., O’Relly, C., Roberts, K., Miller, S.
Psychological evidence suggests that behavior is affected by situational and environmental settings. The health care satisfaction with physical environment contributes to overall job satisfaction of medical staff. Physical surroundings in a community mental health center may be a mediating variable for staff morale and effectiveness. Environmental effects could have dramatic implication for a mental health professionals who constantly must make decisions about patients on the basis of subjective impressions of appearance and behavior. The study deals with staff attitudes in the outpatient clinics of a community mental health center.
Added November 2012
Do absorption and realistic distraction influence performance of component task surgical procedure?
2010
Surgical Endoscopy
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 24
Pages 902-907
Author(s): Pluyter, J. R., Buzink, S. N., Rutkowski, A. F., Jakimowicz, J. J.
Surgeons’ ability of focusing their attention on surgical tasks directly impacts their performance on surgical operations, which is an important factor influencing quality of care, work efficiency, patient satisfaction, and many other healthcare outcomes. Attention or concentration is more important for performing minimal invasive surgeries which involve complex technologies and put high physical and cognitive demands on surgeons.
Added November 2012
Developing architectural lighting designs to improve sleep in older adults
2008
The Open Sleep Journal
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 1
Pages 40-51
Author(s): Figueiro, M., Saldo, E., Rea, M., Kubarek, K., Cunningham, J., Rea, M. S.
Light affects human health and well-being by affecting our ability to see the world, perceive distances and spatial relationships as well as modulating our circadian system. The circadian system which maintains the body's 24-hour cycle is entrained by the light and dark cycles of day and night as well as an internal oscillator located in the brain and a hormone melatonin. The circadian system regulates many of the bodies activities including sleep. A majority of older adults in long term care facilities suffer from sleep problems.
Added November 2012
Single Room Maternity Care: The Nursing Response.
2001
Birth
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 28
Pages 173-179
Author(s): Janssen, P. A., Harris, S. J., Soolsma, J., Klein, M., Seymour, L. C.
Single room maternity care focused on family-centered experience, has gained popularity in recent times. However, this model necessitates new demands on nursing which requires competence across the spectrum of labor, delivery, postpartum and newborn care. In another study authors of this paper have established client satisfaction with the new model of maternity care.
Added November 2012
Direct cellular vs. indirect pager communication during orthopaedic surgical procedures: A prospective study
2009
Technology and Health Care
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 17
Pages 149-157
Author(s): Ortega, G. R., Taksali, S., Smart, R., Baumgaertner, M. R.
Staff-to-staff communication is critical to quality and efficient healthcare. Physicians, nurses, and other healthcare workers all use various methods of communication in their daily work. Difficulties in staff communication often lead to interruptions and delays in patient care, variation in response time, medical errors, violation of privacy, and dissatisfaction in patient and staff.
Added October 2012
Randomized controlled trial investigating the effect of music on the virtual reality laparoscopic learning performance of novice surgeons
2008
Surgical Endoscopy
Journal Article
Issue 11
Volume 22
Pages 2416-2420
Author(s): Miskovic, D., Rosenthal, R., Zingg, U., Oertli, D., Metzger, U., Jancke, L.
The acoustic environment in operating rooms has significant impact on the performance of surgeons, anesthetists, and other staff who need high cognitive attention on the tasks they are performing. Music is often played in operating rooms during surgical procedures even though mixed results have been reported from research around music’s effects on healthcare work performance. Research from other settings showed that certain type of music might help improve human cognition.
Added October 2012
Effect of ultraviolet germicidal lights installed in office ventilation systems on workers' health and well-being: Double-blind, multiple crossover trial
2003
The Lancet
Journal Article
Issue 9398
Volume 362
Pages 1785-1790
Author(s): Menzies, D., Popa, J., Hanley, J.A., Rand, T., Milton, D. K.
Most commercial buildings in North America are mechanically ventilated with sealed exterior shells. In this type of highly automatically controlled indoor environment, microbial contamination of the HVAC system often contributes to building-related illness and symptoms in building occupants, such as outbreaks of rhinitis, humidifier fever, asthma, hypersensitivity problems, and so on. Contamination of bacteria, fungi, and protozoa has been found on various parts of HVAC systems such as air cooling units, cooling coils, and drip pans.
Added October 2012
Antimicrobial drug use and infection control practices associated with the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in European hospitals
2007
Clinical Microbiology and Infection
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 13
Pages 269-276
Author(s): MacKenzie, F. M., Bruce, J., Struelens, M. J., Goossens, H., Mollison, J., Gould, I. M.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a type of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics such as methicillin and cephalosporins. MRSA may cause serious infections to patients with open wounds, invasive devices, and weakened immune systems, which are in some cases extremely difficult to treat. In recent years, the rate of MRSA infections has been increasing globally and causing high morbidity, mortality, and healthcare cost.
Added October 2012