Research Reports & Papers

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Improving Overall Healthcare Quality and Reducing Costs

Issue Paper #3

The Role of the Physical and Social Environment in Promoting Health, Safety, and Effectiveness in the Healthcare Workplace - November 2006

The physical environment plays an important role in improving the health and safety for staff, increasing effectiveness in providing care, reducing errors, and increasing job satisfaction. Proper design of healthcare settings, along with a culture that prioritizes the health and safety of the care team through its policies and values, can reduce the risk of disease and injury to hospital staff and provide the necessary support needed to perform critical tasks.

White Papers

Designing the 21st Century Hospital:  Environmental Leadership for Healthier Patients, Facilities, & Communities - September 2006

The nation’s healthcare system is anticipating a hospital construction boom worth $200 billion over the next decade. At this pivotal moment, hospitals leaders are asking, what is the role of hospitals in the 21st century in improving patient and community health? Evidence suggests that when hospitals adopt green building and design approaches that minimize ecological harm, patient healing and staff satisfaction increases, and hospitals serve as leading environmental stewards in their communities.

Research Summary

Health Promotion by Design in Long Term Care Settings - August 2006

The prevalence of chronic conditions is projected to increase dramatically with the aging of the population. In fact, by year 2030, nearly 150 million Americans will have a chronic condition. Consequently, the need for quality long-term care will also increase in the years to come. This report, which was prepared for the Laguna Honda Foundation with funding from the California HealthCare Foundation, assesses the state of the science linking the physical environment with resident and staff outcomes in long-term care settings.

Issue Paper #2

The Impact of Light on Outcomes in Healthcare Settings - August 2006

Studies show that higher light levels are linked with better performance of complex visual tasks and light requirements increase with age. By controlling the body’s circadian system, light impacts outcomes in healthcare settings by reducing depression among patients, decreasing length of stay in hospitals, improving sleep and circadian rhythm, lessening agitation among dementia patients, easing pain, and improving adjustment to night-shift work among staff. This issue paper was funded by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Research Summary

The Role of the Physical Environment in the Hospital of the 21st Century: A Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity - June 2004
The hospital industry is in the throes of a major building boom:  In the next decade, an estimated $200 billion will be spent on new hospital construction across the United States.  At the same time, a new analysis of more than 600 research studies by The Center for Health Design shows a direct link between patient health and quality of care and the way a hospital is designed. This research summary was funded by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

CHER (Coalition for Health Environments Research) Paper

The Use of Single Patient Rooms vs. Multiple Occupancy Rooms in Acute Care Environments- 2004

A study funded by The Facility Guidelines Institute. Simon Fraser University (SFU) was selected for the project, Habib Chaudhury, PhD, Assistant Professor, Gerontology Programs and Research Centre is the principal investigator.

CHER (Coalition for Health Environments Research) Paper

The Nature and Rate of Change in Clinical Laboratories - September 2003

Advances in information and automation systems, as well as services and point-of-care testing are influencing laboratory workplaces nationwide. This 56-page report is a must-read for those who want to know how these changes are affecting the need for flexible building designs and furnishings.

Research Report

Consumer Perceptions of the Healthcare Environment -- An Investigation to Determine What Matters - 1998
What do patients notice in the built environment when they go to a doctor's office, a hospital, or a nursing home? This research report is based on focus-group interviews with patients, families, and healthcare professionals.

Research Report

A Guide to Conducting Healthcare Facility Visits - 1994
If you are spending thousands of dollars to do a site visit, don't you want it to be worthwhile? Over 40 professionals in the architecture and healthcare fields were interviewed for this report to find out how to make the investment in site visits be more worthwhile.

Research Report

Design Evaluation of Six Primary Care Facilities for the Purpose of Informing Future Design Decisions - 1993
Primary care is a diverse, changing, and critically important part of America's healthcare system. This case study research identifies a set of critical design issues faced by many involved in the design, development, and operation of primary care facilities.