Does Space Matter? An Exploratory Study for a Child-Adolescent Mental Health Inpatient Unit
2016
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 10
Pages 23-44
Author(s): Trzpuc, S. J., Wendt, K. A., Heitzman, S. C., Skemp, S., Thomas, D., Dahl, R.
Added June 2016
Ergonomical aspects of anaesthetic practice
2016
Indian Journal of Anaesthesia
Journal Article
Issue 5
Volume 60
Pages 306
Author(s): Raghavendra, R.S.
Anesthesiologists typically act as data analyzers, investigators, and planners for forthcoming surgical events, but only after patients and their families have been convinced that the procedure is appropriate. With the field of anesthesiology rapidly developing, it is imperative that workstations are optimized so that procedures can be conducted efficiently and safely. Ergonomics is defined as a discipline that explores and applies information regarding human characteristics, requirements, limitations, and abilities to the development, design, engineering, and testing of equipment, systems, and occupations.
Added June 2016
The Effect of a Safe Zone on Nurse Distractions, Interruptions, and Medication Administration Errors
2012
Western Journal of Nursing Research
Journal Article
Issue 8
Volume 34
Pages 1068-1069
Author(s): Yoder, M., Schadewald, D.
Added May 2016
Comparison between mixed and laminar airflow systems in operating rooms and the influence of human factors: Experiences from a Swedish orthopedic center
2014
American Journal of Infection Control
Journal Article
Issue 6
Volume 42
Pages 665-669
Author(s): Erichsen Andersson, A., Petzold, M., Bergh, I., Karlsson, J., Eriksson, B. I., Nilsson, K.
Added May 2016
Health economic evaluation of an infection prevention and control program: Are quality and patient safety programs worth the investment?
2013
American Journal of Infection Control
Journal Article
Issue 9
Volume 41
Pages 773-777
Author(s): Raschka, S., Dempster, L., Bryce, E.
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
Push Forces on Vinyl and Carpet for Conventional Wheeled and Motor-Driven Floor-Based Lifts among Direct Care Staff in Long-Term Care
Volume 59
Pages 1257-1257
Author(s): Korall, A. M. B., Lachance, C. C., Russell, C. M., Johnson, S. I., Feldman, F., Robinovitch, S. N., Mackey, D. C.
Added May 2016
Managing Patient Falls in Psychiatric Inpatient Units: Part 1
2016
The Health Care Manager
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 35
Pages 21-27
Author(s): Abraham, S.
A significantly higher number of patient falls occur in hospital inpatient psychiatric units than in medical-surgical areas, resulting in issues with overall patient safety. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers patient falls a concern to society due to the safety issues they pose and financial strains they can cause for institutions.
Added April 2016
To see or not to see: Investigating the links between patient visibility and potential moderators affecting the patient experience
2016
Journal of Environmental Psychology
Journal Article
Author(s): Bosch, S. J., Apple, M., Hiltonen, B., Worden, E., Lu, Yi, Nanda, U., Kim, D.
The amount of visibility between patients and nursing staff contributes significantly to the balance between feelings of security and autonomy. Hospitals in which patients are in constant view of the staff can create a sense of restricted freedom, but high visibility can also be associated with higher levels of patient safety. There has been ongoing debate within the medical community as to how a perfect balance between security and autonomy can be implemented. This study took place at a hospital with a radial nursing unit.
Added April 2016
Examination of wireless technology to improve nurse communication, response time to bed alarms, and patient safety
2011
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 4
Pages 109–120
Author(s): Guarascio-Howard, Linda
Patient safety programs, such as fall-prevention programs, are greatly impacted by communication within the care team. The ability to communicate effectively with other care team members is essential for achieving quick caregiver responses to changing patient conditions. While the majority of research has focused on the implementation of fall-prevention programs as a primary method for reducing patient falls within healthcare environments, this research looks to assess the interconnection between wireless technology, bed alarms, caregiver response, communication, and collaboration on fall-prevention.
Added April 2016
Shaping the slats of hospital patient room window blinds for daylighting and external view under desert clear skies
2016
Solar Energy
Journal Article
Author(s): Sherif, A., Sabry, H., Wagdy, A., Mashaly, I, Arafa, R.
Many previous studies have shown how natural lighting can contribute to the healing nature of a hospital’s environment by reducing patient fatigue, stress, and length of stay. Desert locations are often characterized by continually clear skies, making control of the sunlight even more essential to patient satisfaction. It is therefore important to determine the optimal shape of window blind slats so that discomfort can be reduced without compromising levels of illumination.
Added April 2016
Designing Safety-Net Clinics for Innovative Care Delivery Models
2011
California HealthCare Foundation
Report
Author(s): Quan, X., Joseph, A., Keller, A., Taylor, E.
Added March 2016
Designing Safety-Net Clinics for Cultural Sensitivity
2011
California HealthCare Foundation
Report
Author(s): Joseph, A., Keller, A., Taylor, E., Quan, X.
Added March 2016
Visitor characteristics and alcohol-based hand sanitizer dispenser locations at the hospital entrance: Effect on visitor use rates
2016
American Journal of Infection Control
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 44
Pages 258-262
Author(s): Hobbs, M. A., Robinson, S., Neyens, D. M., Steed, C.
Proper hand hygiene is one of the most effective measures in the effort to prevent transmission of nosocomial pathogens in clinical settings. Previous studies have shown how healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) could be traced back to the spread of germs from hospital employees, patients, and visitors. While there is a large body of research on improving hand hygiene compliance among healthcare workers, there is a lack of similar studies aimed towards compliance among hospital visitors.
Added March 2016
Environmental factors and their association with emergency department hand hygiene compliance: an observational study
2016
BMJ Quality & Safety
Journal Article
Issue 5
Volume 25
Pages 372-378
Author(s): Carter, E. J., Wyer, P., Giglio, J., Jia, H., Nelson, G., Kauari, V. E., Larson, E. L.
Adherence to proper hand hygiene procedures has been repeatedly shown to help prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Emergency departments (EDs) often experience environmental conditions such as crowding and subsequently end up using non-traditional patient care areas such as hallways to administer treatment. It is possible that the use of non-traditional patient care areas contributes to lower levels of hand hygiene compliance.
Added March 2016
Is single room hospital accommodation associated with differences in healthcare-associated infection, falls, pressure ulcers or medication errors? A natural experiment with non-equivalent controls
2016
Journal of Health Services Research & Policy
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 21
Pages 147-155
Author(s): Simon, M., Maben, J., Murrells, T., Griffiths, P.
Previous studies have associated single-patient rooms with reduced infection rates, reduced medication errors, and faster patient recovery rates. In response, an increasing number of hospitals have been shifting towards an entirely single-patient room layout. Although there are plenty of studies from the U.K. providing empirical evidence for the efficacy of single-patient rooms, the United States lacks this foundation of published research, and could therefore benefit from an outcome analysis of single-patient rooms.
Added February 2016
Making the Case for Evidence-Based Design in Healthcare: A Descriptive Case Study of Organizational Decision Making
2010
Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 4
Pages 56-88
Author(s): Shoemaker, L.K., Kazley, A.S., White, A.
It is reported that an approximately 98,000 people die each year in the United States as a result of medical errors (IOM, 1999). This is unacceptable in a country that prides itself on the best medical institutions and access to the highest-end technology. It is believed that the need to renew currently standing hospitals is due to a combination of aging buildings, aging populations, and introduction of new technologies (Ulrich, 2004). This has led to a large patient safety movement and the largest hospital construction boom in U.S. history (Jones, 2004).
Added January 2016
The Design of Adult Acute Care Units in U.S. Hospitals
2009
Journal of Nursing Scholarship
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 41
Pages 79-86
Author(s): Catrambone, C., Johnson, M. E., Mion, L. C. & Minnick, A. F.
In 2005, the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ) publicized a commissioned report about hospital environments (Nelson, West, & Goodman, 2005). The report included a summary of all published research (N=328 reports) about those environments and patient and staff outcomes, including safety, satisfaction, and efficiency, as well as clinical outcomes.
Added January 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
Older Adult Inpatient Falls in Acute Care Hospitals
2015
Journal of Gerontological Nursing
Journal Article
Author(s): Zhao, Y. & Kim, H.
Traditional studies of patient falls have been focused on rehabilitation hospitals or nursing homes. This study seeks to add to the body of knowledge related to older adult patient falls by focusing on the acute care hospital setting.
Added January 2016