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The Impact of the Design of Healthcare Environments on Patient Falls

Gowri Betrabet Gulwadi, Ph.D., University of Northern Iowa

Margaret P. Calkins, Ph.D., IDEAS Institute

The Center for Health Design CHER Research Committee, July 2008

Summary

Falls in healthcare settings are a frequent occurrence, costing approximately $3.6 billion annually and having significant negative outcomes for fallers. The physical environment is an often-over-looked factor that can serve either to increase risk or mitigate risk. A literature review was conducted to explore environmental correlates of falls in healthcare settings.

Information was categorized according to four environmental factors that emerged as common across healthcare populations and settings: (a) spatial organization, (b) interior characteristics, (c) sensory attributes, and (d) use of environment. While the quality of some of the information is well-grounded, much of it requires interpolation or further study because specific characteristics of the physical environment are either poorly articulated or missing altogether.

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