Methodological challenges in studies of bright light therapy to treat sleep disorders in nursing home residents with dementia
2014
Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences
Journal Article
Issue 11
Volume 68
Pages 777-784
Author(s): van der Ploeg, E. S., O'Connor, D. W.
Research studies conducted in the past 20 years have failed to validate the effectiveness of bright white light treatment of sleep disorders in nursing home or long-stay hospital residents with dementia. This trend is documented in a Cochrane Collaboration meta-analysis of 10 selected studies where problems in the research methodologies were identified. The prevalence of sleep disorders among residents diagnosed with dementia varies from 40% to 70%.
Added November 2016
Light at Night and Measures of Alertness and Performance: Implications for Shift Workers
2016
Biological Research For Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 18
Pages 90-100
Author(s): Figueiro, M. G., Sahin, L., Wood, B., Plitnick, B.
Rotating-shift workers, particularly those working at night, are likely to experience sleepiness, decreased productivity, and impaired safety while on the job. Light at night has been shown to have acute alerting effects, reduce sleepiness, and improve performance. However, light at night can also suppress melatonin and induce circadian disruption, both of which have been linked to increased health risks. Previous studies have shown that long-wavelength (red) light exposure increases objective and subjective measures of alertness at night, without suppressing nocturnal melatonin.
Added November 2016
Shift work: health, performance and safety problems, traditional countermeasures, and innovative management strategies to reduce circadian misalignment
2012
Nature and Science of Sleep
Journal Article
Author(s): Eastman, C. I., Smith, M. R.
This paper is a review of the literature related to health, performance, and safety problems associated with night shift work. The review of articles and research papers focused on circadian misalignment between the individual’s internal circadian clock and activities such as work, sleep, and eating. There is also discussion about chronic partial sleep deprivation and melatonin suppression at night. The articles reviewed include theory papers and research papers.
Added November 2016
Objective and subjective assessments of lighting in a hospital setting: implications for health, safety and performance
2013
Ergonomics
Journal Article
Issue 10
Volume 56
Pages 1535-1545
Author(s): Dianat, I., Sedghi, A., Bagherzade, J., Jafarabadi, M. A., Stedmon, A. W.
Poor lighting conditions in workplaces, particularly healthcare environments, can cause discomfort for both patients and staff members, while also negatively affecting the performance of standard tasks. Ailments such as eyestrain, headaches, and indigestion may evolve from low lighting levels, high amounts of glare, and even flickering light sources.
Added October 2016
Copper Surfaces Reduce the Rate of Healthcare-Acquired Infections in the Intensive Care Unit
2013
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology
Journal Article
Issue 05
Volume 34
Pages 479-486
Author(s): Salgado, C. D., Sepkowitz, K. A., John, J. F., Cantey, J. R., Attaway, H. H., Freeman, K. D., Sharpe, P. A., Michels, H. T., Schmidt, M. G.
Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) have been known to substantially increase patient morbidity and mortality, while also creating considerable financial burdens on patients and healthcare providers. Patients in intensive care units (ICUs) are at higher risk for HAI due to the nature of the ICU environment. Metallic copper surfaces have been known to substantially reduce bacterial concentrations; however, the clinical efficacy of these surfaces in ICUs has not been previously measured.
Added October 2016
Healthy, natural, efficient and tunable lighting: four-package white LEDs for optimizing the circadian effect, color quality and vision performance
2014
Light: Science & Applications
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 3
Pages e141
Author(s): Oh, J. H., Yang, J. S., Do, Y. R.
Added October 2016
A hybrid power line and visible light communication system for indoor hospital applications
04/2015
Computers in Industry
Journal Article
Author(s): Ding, W., Yang, F., Yang, H., Wang, J., Wang, X., Zhang, X., Song, J.
Added October 2016
Care of the Older Adult in the Emergency Department: Nurses Views of the Pressing Issues
2013
The Gerontologist
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 53
Pages 441-453
Author(s): Boltz, M., Parke, B., Shuluk, J., Capezuti, E., Galvin, J. E.
Added October 2016
Surface Finish Materials: Considerations for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
2016
Newborn and Infant Nursing Reviews
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 16
Pages 203-207
Author(s): Harris, D.
In this literature review, it is shown that a growing body of research has been focusing on how surface material finishes within neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) can contribute to the operational, clinical, and social aspects of health outcomes.
Added September 2016
Creating an Environmentally Sustainable Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
2016
Newborn and Infant Nursing Reviews
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 16
Pages 213-217
Author(s): Shepley, M. M., Song, Y., Marshall-Baker, A.
Added September 2016
Water Safety and Legionella in Health Care: Priorities, Policy, and Practice
2016
Infectious Disease Clinics of North America
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 30
Pages 689-712
Author(s): Gamage, S. D., Ambrose, M., Kralovic, S. M., Roselle, G. A.
Added September 2016
Objective acoustical quality in healthcare office facilities
2016
Canadian Acoustics
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 44
Pages 1-2
Author(s): Hodgson, M.
In this relatively brief study, the author chooses to survey a number of different healthcare offices in different locations in order to describe their acoustical nature and identify how certain design elements affect acoustical properties. Many different aspects of the offices’ physical design are taken into account in order to produce a comprehensive analysis of what exactly affects a given environment’s acoustical characteristics, and what could potentially be done to improve these characteristics.
Added September 2016
Environmental Variables That Influence Patient Satisfaction: A Review of the Literature
2016
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 10
Pages 155-169
Author(s): MacAllister, L., Zimring, C., Ryherd, E.
This paper is a literature review that compiles a number of studies investigating the layouts and designs of hospitals and work settings, and the influences that these environments have on health and behavioral outcomes in patients. More specifically, this review seeks to identify possible links between physical and social environmental influences to self-reported patient outcomes. The authors wish to more fully understand the elements that influence patient satisfaction, and then begin a discussion over how physical and social environments can be further analyzed to enhance satisfaction.
Added September 2016
Retrospective Preevaluation-Postevaluation in Health Design
2016
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 10
Pages 13-22
Author(s): Malagon-Maldonado, Gabriella
Added September 2016
LA Sprouts: A gardening, nutrition, and cooking intervention for Latino youth improves diet and reduces obesity
2011
Journal of the American Dietetic Association
Journal Article
Issue 8
Volume 111
Pages 1224-1230
Author(s): Davis, J. N., Ventura, E. E., Cook, L. T., Gyllenhammer, L. E., Gatto, N. M.
Added August 2016
"Let's Sit Forward": Investigating Interprofessional Communication, Collaboration, Professional Roles, and Physical Space at EmergiCare
2016
Health Communication
Journal Article
Issue 12
Volume 31
Pages 1506-1516
Author(s): Dean, M., Gill, R., Barbour, J. B.
Due to the fact that emergency department (ED) caregivers are constantly involved in interprofessional, knowledge-intensive conversations, effective modes of communication necessarily play a key role in promoting patient health and safety. Previous studies have explored how the physical environment directly affects modes of communication, and how these two dimensions of the healthcare environment constantly intersect with each other.
Added August 2016
Relationships between street characteristics and perceived attractiveness for walking reported by elderly people
2008
Journal of Environmental Psychology
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 28
Pages 353-361
Author(s): Borst, H. C., Miedema, H. M. E., de Vries, S. I., Graham, J. M. A., van Dongen, J. E. F.
Added July 2016
Affective sanctuaries: understanding Maggie’s as therapeutic landscapes
2016
Landscape Research
Journal Article
Issue 6
Volume 41
Pages 695-706
Author(s): Butterfield, A., Martin, D.
Added July 2016
Mental and Behavioral Health Environments: Critical Considerations for Facility Design
2016
General Hospital Psychiatry
Journal Article
Author(s): Shepley, M. M., Watson, A., Pitts, F., Garrity, A., Spelman, E., Kelkar, J., Fronsman, A.
Mental and behavioral health (MBH) facilities are being built and renovated at an increasing rate, but research concerning best building practices has not kept pace with construction. Evidence-based design (EBD) involves the use of research to help multidisciplinary design teams create the most appropriate built environments.
Added July 2016
The therapeutic impacts of environmental design interventions on wellness in clinical settings: A narrative review
2016
Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice
Journal Article
Author(s): Iyendo, T. O., Uwajeh, P. C., Ikenna, E. S.
Added July 2016