Reduction of Environmental Contamination With Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria by Copper-Alloy Coating of Surfaces in a Highly Endemic Setting
2017
Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology
Journal Article
Issue 7
Volume 38
Pages 765-771
Author(s): Souli, M., Antoniadou, A., Katsarolis, I., Mavrou, I., Paramythiotou, E., Papadomichelakis, E., Drogari-Apiranthitou, M., Panagea, T., Giamarellou, H., Petrikkos, G., Armaganidis, Apostolos
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are often caused by multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs). This is especially problematic in intensive care units (ICUs) due to the vulnerable nature of both patients and staff in these environments.
Added June 2017
Nursing staff’s experiences of working in an evidence-based designed ICU patient room—An interview study
2017
Intensive and Critical Care Nursing
Journal Article
Author(s): Sundberg, F., Olausson, S., Fridh, I., Lindahl, B.
Intensive care unit nurses use technology and systems that may not have existed when their nursing units were constructed. Nurses often must work around machines and in narrow spaces to deliver complex care to critically ill patients.
Added June 2017
Reduced nosocomial infection rate in a neonatal intensive care unit during a 4-year surveillance period
2017
Journal of the Chinese Medical Association
Journal Article
Issue 7
Volume 80
Pages 427-431
Author(s): Chen, Y.-C., Lin, C.-F., Rehn, Y-J. F., Chen, J-C., Chen, P.-Y., Chen, C.-H., Wang, T.-M., Huang, F.-L.
Infants receiving treatment within neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) are subject to higher rates of nosocomial infection. This may be due to the immature nature of infant immune systems as well as the nature of modern diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
Added June 2017
Subjective evaluation of speech privacy at consulting rooms in hospitals: Relationship between feeling evoked by overhearing speech and word intelligibility score
2017
Applied Acoustics
Journal Article
Author(s): Sato, H., Morimoto, M., Ohtani, S., Hoshino, Y., Sato, H.
Healthcare environments, particularly patient-doctor consulting rooms, are often filled with conversations of a sensitive nature that ideally should be kept private for the well-being of both patients and nearby individuals. Previous studies and relevant standards within healthcare environments have often used speech intelligibility as a subjective measure for assessing speech privacy.
Added June 2017
How Strongly Programmed is a Strong Programme Building? A Comparative Analysis of Outpatient Clinics in Two Hospitals
Author(s): Sailer, K., Pachilova, R., Kostopoulou, E., Pradinuk, R., MacKinnon, D., Hoofwijk, T.
The spatial configuration of a given building can be classified into one of two popular theoretical categories: weakly programmed or strongly programmed. These terms have become increasingly more commonly used when analyzing the spatial syntax of buildings; however, the authors suggest that their definitions and criteria are not clearly defined.
Added May 2017
Selecting a pharmacy layout design using a weighted scoring system
2012
American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy
Journal Article
Issue 9
Volume 69
Pages 796-804
Author(s): McDowell, A. L., Huang, Y.-L.
Previous studies have found that effectively planning the construction of a facility can reduce operational inefficiencies and lower costs by as much as 30%. Since pharmacies are focused on the distribution of supplies rather than interactions with patients, they could hypothetically benefit from process-improvement techniques that are often used in manufacturing industries for layout designs.
Added May 2017
The Power of Traditional Design Techniques: The Effects of Viewing a Japanese Garden on Individuals With Cognitive Impairment
2016
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 10
Pages 74-86
Author(s): Goto, S., Gianfagia, T. J., Munafo, J. P., Fujii, E., Shen, X., Sun, M., Shi, B. E., Liu, C., Hamano, H., Herrup, Karl
Added May 2017
Evidence-Based Design Features Improve Sleep Quality Among Psychiatric Inpatients
2017
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 5
Volume 10
Pages 52-63
Author(s): Pyrke, R. J. L., McKinnon, M. C., McNeely, H. E., Ahern, C., Langstaff, K. L., Bieling, P. J.
There are many factors present within psychiatric care facilities that can contribute to disrupted patient sleep patterns. Since poor sleep is widely associated with adverse health outcomes, it is important for designers to understand how the physical environments within mental health facilities can contribute to patient sleep patterns.
Added May 2017
Meeting Patient Expectations During Hospitalization: A Grounded Theoretical Analysis of Patient-Centered Room Elements
2017
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 5
Volume 10
Pages 95-110
Author(s): Patterson, E. S., Sanders, E. B.-N., Sommerich, C. M., Lavender, S. A., Li, J., Evans, K. D.
A 2016 study found that tens of millions of patients within the U.S. were hospitalized for an average of 4.8 days, while a separate study found that roughly 65.7 million people (or roughly 29% of the adult population) within the U.S. are considered caregivers for children or other adults. Other previous studies indicate that rooms that are specially designed to support patients and caregivers can reduce patient and caregiver stress and ultimately improve the overall healing processes.
Added March 2017
The Influence of Nature Stimulus in Enhancing the Birth Experience
2017
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 10
Pages 81-100
Author(s): Aburas, R., Pati, D., Casanova, R., Adams, N. G.
Added February 2017
Patient Needs and Environments for Cancer Infusion Treatment
2017
Journal of Interior Design
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 42
Pages 13-25
Author(s): Wang, Z., Pukszta, M.
Roughly 1.5 million Americans are diagnosed with cancer every year, and more than 50% of cancer patients receive chemotherapy for treatment. Chemotherapy is delivered through infusion, which uses an intravenous (IV) administration and support system to deliver treatment.
Added February 2017
Child Life Specialists' Evaluation of Hospital Playroom Design: A Mixed Method Inquiry
2017
Journal of Interior Design
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 42
Pages 71-91
Author(s): Weinberger, N., Butler, A. G., Schumacher, P. A., Brown, R. L., McGee, B.
Many children are hospitalized with chronic illnesses each year, experiences that may result in traumatic repercussions with lasting negative health effects as children grow older. Child life experts are individuals who help children and their families cope with the stresses and uncertainties of hospitalization.
Added February 2017
Healing gardens for the elderly: A review of design guidelines and the comparisons with the existing Senior Outdoor Survey (SOS) tool
2016
ALAM CIPTA, International Journal on Sustainable Tropical Design Research & Practice
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 9
Pages 19–25
Author(s): Chong, Y. E., Shukor, A., Faris, S.
As the demand increases for senior living facilities, it will be important for designers and healthcare providers to remember that incorporating access to specially designed outdoor spaces can have a positive influence on the psychosocial and physical health of patients.
Added February 2017
Post-Occupancy Evaluation of a Mental Healthcare Facility Based on Staff Perceptions of Design Innovations
2017
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 10
Pages 121-135
Author(s): Kalantari, S., Snell, R.
Post-occupancy evaluation (POE) is a research method for gathering information on the effectiveness of new architectural designs in healthcare environments. POE can help healthcare providers and designers gauge whether or not a given design is achieving its intended purpose. Since evidence-based designs are becoming more widely implemented in a variety of healthcare environments, POE could prove useful in many different departmental contexts. The authors note that the application of POE in research focusing on mental healthcare facilities is rare, signaling a need for exploration
Added February 2017
Mental and behavioral health settings: Importance & effectiveness of environmental qualities & features as perceived by staff
2017
Journal of Environmental Psychology
Journal Article
Issue June
Volume 50
Pages 37-50
Author(s): Shepley, M. M., Watson, A., Pitts, F., Garrity, A., Spelman, E., Fronsman, A., Kelkar, J.
While many previous studies have examined how facility designs can benefit patients within non-psychiatric acute care settings, there is a lack of research exploring how physical environments can be better suited to promote the health of patients in mental and behavioral health (MBH) facilities.
Added February 2017
The Research-Design Interaction: Lessons Learned From an Evidence-Based Design Studio
2010
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 3
Pages 75–92
Author(s): Haq, S., Pati, D.
With the emergence of the Evidence-Based Design (EBD) approach being integrated into design practice models throughout design firms, much attention has been given to the research portion of the process. However, little is understood about the interaction between the designer, the primary change agent, and the evidence they are using to bring about the change.
Added December 2016
Separate Medication Preparation Rooms Reduce Interruptions and Medication Errors in the Hospital Setting: A Prospective Observational Study
2016
Journal of Patient Safety
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 17
Pages e161-e168
Author(s): Huckels-Baumgart, S., Baumgart, A., Buschmann, U., Schüpfer, G., Manser, T.
Errors and interruptions are commonplace during medication preparation procedures in healthcare environments. One study found that one interruption occurred for every 3.2 drugs administered during nurses’ medication rounds.
Added December 2016
Investigation of Eligible Picture Categories for Use as Environmental Cues in Dementia-Sensitive Environments
2016
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 10
Pages 64-73
Author(s): Motzek, T., Bueter, K., Marquardt, G.
Dementia often manifests in populations of elderly people who are admitted to acute care facilities. The disorienting nature of hospital environments can exacerbate the condition of dementia, leading to challenging behavior from patients that can affect staff, other patients, and the patients themselves. Previous studies have found that personalized labels and signs, such as photographic portraits of residents themselves, are effective environmental markers in long-term healthcare facilities.
Added December 2016
Secondary exposure risks to patients in an airborne isolation room: Implications for anteroom design
2016
Building and Environment
Journal Article
Author(s): Mousavi, E. S., Grosskopf, K. R.
Previous research has shown that negatively pressurized Airborne Infectious Isolation Rooms (AIIRs) can protect hospitals from fatal airborne pathogens such as tuberculosis. But this use of negative pressurization can simultaneously increase the chances of isolated patients contracting secondary infections, or healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs), caused by air blowing in from adjacent spaces. Research is needed to better assess the actual likelihood of secondary infections occurring in these scenarios so that steps can be taken to mitigate these risks.
Added December 2016
Nature! Small Steps that can Make a Big Difference
2016
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 9
Pages 6-10
Author(s): Sullivan, W. C., Kaplan, R.
Added December 2016