Insights & Solutions

Vernacare’s single-use disposal systems incorporate bio-degradable bedpans, bowls and urinals that use touchless disposal technology and create a more hygienic, safe, and efficient solution for infection prevention and reduced staff exposure risks.

Evidence based on primary research and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), the Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI), and The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), among others, can help guide critical infection prevention decisions in a range of healthcare settings. The following strategies, gathered through a review of the literature, should be considered throughout the material selection and specification stages.

This tool provides an overview of cleaning mechanisms (i.e., processes and/or technologies) and material characteristics, which in turn may influence materials selection and specification.

This tool details each stakeholder’s role and responsibilities. Use this tool as a guide when building your own infection prevention team to ensure a common understanding of each team member’s contributions.

As part of the infection control toolbox, in this issue brief you will learn about, high-touch and soft surfaces and their effect on antimicrobial behavior, different cleaning mechanisms and their impact on surfaces, and an approach for structuring infection prevention teams during the design process. 

As part of the infection control toolbox, in this issue brief you will learn about, the role of surfaces in the chain of transmission and the epidemiology of infections, environmental conditions that affect the growth and transmission of pathogens, and cleaning and disinfecting strategies.

This summary compiles the executive summaries of six Safety Risk Assessment Issue Briefs to provide a high-level overview of the latent conditions of the built environment and their related design categories found in the CHD SRA toolkit.

This webinar introduces the new, easier to use, online interface for The Center’s Safety Risk Assessment (SRA) toolkit, a proactive and systematic approach to designing and renovating healthcare facilities for safety. Originally developed through research and consensus to support the requirements of the FGI Guidelines, The Center's research team will walk you through the why, what, and how of each part of the online SRA toolkit illustrating features with vignettes gathered from the testing process.  

Toward a Framework for Designing Person-Centered Mental Health Interiors for Veterans, Journal of Interior Design, DOI: 10.1111/joid.12095

Healthcare is provided in a variety of settings, from a person’s home to outpatient clinics, to the hospital. While the settings and specific design elements may differ across the continuum of care, the objectives of safety, efficiency, satisfaction, and high quality care remain constant. This set of interactive diagrams provides a link between the evidence base, design strategies, and desired outcomes – in a visually intuitive and actionable format.