Insights & Solutions

Beauvais, B., Richter, J. P., Kim, F. S., Palmer, E. L., Spear, B. L., Turner, R. C., (2021) A reason to renovate: The association between hospital age of plant and value-based purchasing performance. Health Care Management Review

There is a potential ROI for capital projects, which may have previously been unknown, ignored, or at least, not defined. The authors note that not every organization has the financial ability to fund capital projects, and the investments may cost more than the return associated solely with bonus payments from reimbursement.

Kelada, L., Wakefield, C. E., De Graves, S., Treadgold, C., Dumlao, G., Schaffer, M., O'Brien, T., (2021) Evaluation of an in-hospital recreation room for hospitalised children and their families. Journal of Pediatric Nursing

The play room in this pediatric hospital is the great escape. Let’s use this research and design an escape to get in, not get out.

Noble, L., Devlin, A. S., (2021) Perceptions of psychotherapy waiting rooms: Design recommendations. HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal

The results here tell us far more about what does not work in the design of a behavioral health waiting room, rather than what does work, and the authors propose some types of waiting rooms may give patients the impression that the practitioner does not care about their wellbeing while waiting.

Rubio, N., Macías, F., Gómez, E., (2021) The Children’s Council as a mean of participation in a hospital. American Journal of Nursing Studies

This study shows that “serious play” is a creative way to gain the insight of children through a design decision making process.

Degl' Innocenti, A., Wijk, H., Kullgren, A., Alexiou, E. (2020) The influence of evidence-based design on staff perceptions of a supportive environment for person-centered care in forensic psychiatry. Journal of Forensic Nursing

Staff satisfaction is an essential return on the investment being made to improve the provision and efficiency of care. Getting their detailed feedback on the design of the built environment makes good heart and business sense.

Olausson, S., Wijk, H., Berglund, I. J., Pihlgren, A., Danielson, E. (2021) Patients’ experiences of place and space after a relocation to evidence-based designed forensic psychiatric hospitals. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing

The design of these new person-centered forensic psychiatry facilities is based upon extensive collaboration to ensure that design decisions are grounded in science- and experience-based, systematically provided data, but it does not reflect the patient as an equal contributor in design.

Shepley, M. M., Peditto, K., Sachs, N. A., Pham, Y., Barankevich, R., Crouppen, G., Dresser, K. (2021) Staff and resident perceptions of mental and behavioural health environments. Building Research & Information

The patient perspective is unique, cannot be replicated, and is crucial for designing effective healthcare environments. Every person is an expert when it comes to their own experience, and everyone’s experience is informed by their unique perspective.

Wang, Z., & Pukszta, M. (2018). Private Rooms, Semi-Open Areas, or Open Areas for Chemotherapy Care: Perspectives of Cancer Patients, Families, and Nursing Staff. HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal

Designers should consider spaces that provide options for privacy, social interaction, and access to nurses, and views of nature. The number of patients (or treatment pods) per treatment area depends on several constraints set in each project, but designers can refer to the suggestions made in this study (5 to 6.5 patients) as a jumping off point for discussion.

FGI (2014) recommends that the size of the treatment area and ratio of open patient care stations and private bays/cubicles/rooms should depend on the patient acuity mix and planned use of the unit, and that at least one private treatment room is recommended. This study supports the guideline, showing that a mix of treatment spaces can support the various needs and preferences patients, families, and staff may have. Patient and staff needs are likely to vary from day to day and project to project, and flexibility in treatment area types can support this.   While the minimum standards provided by FGI and current best practices are a great starting point, many organizations will want to go above and beyond in providing the best possible environment for their patients. This study attempts to find out what “the best” might include.

Hopkins, S., Morgan, P. L., Schlangen, L. J. M., Williams, P., Skene, D. J., & Middleton, B. (2017). Blue-enriched lighting for older people living in care homes: Effect on activity, actigraphic sleep, mood and alertness. Current Alzheimer Research

As we get older, sleep quality suffers, and poor sleep can lead to poor overall health. Our circadian function plays a major role in the quality of our sleep, and research suggests that the physical environment can support better circadian function. Some research shows that residents with dementia in care homes experienced better sleep when exposed to increased light levels. The authors believe this to be the first study to look at the effect on a general population of older people not diagnosed with dementia.

Altizer, Z., Canar, W. J., Redemske, D., Fullam, F., & Lamont, M. (2019). Utilization of a Standardized Post-Occupancy Evaluation to Assess the Guiding Principles of a Major Academic Medical Center. HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal

“Let’s do a POE.” Seems simple, right? Design professionals get the potential value of post-occupancy evaluation, but they often find that there is zero time after construction is complete to create a POE tool and go through the evaluation process. Can standardized tools that have customizable features provide a balanced solution to this evaluation conundrum?