Insights & Solutions

King, B., Bodden, J., Steege, L., & Brown, C. J. (2020). Older adults experiences with ambulation during a hospital stay: A qualitative study. Geriatric Nursing

The inability to independently ambulate during an admission frequently results in “hospital associated disability” for older adults. Understanding and addressing ambulatory barriers from their point of view is essential to facilitate better outcomes. Focus groups were conducted to solicit and categorize responses. Researchers uncovered a new place-based concept that they referred to as “Danger Zones.” Unwelcoming environments, inadequate care planning, and interpersonal biases all contribute to challenges with older patient’s lack of ambulation. This study provides a prototype for identifying barriers to ambulation in healthcare settings from the perspective of older adults as well as a broader range of inpatients.

Martins, B. A., Barrie, H., Visvanathan, R., Daniel, L., Martins, L. A., Ranasinghe, D., Wilson, A., & Soebarto, V. (2020). A multidisciplinary exploratory approach for investigating the experience of older adults attending hospital services. HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal, in press.

For older adults, unsupportive healthcare settings present barriers to accessing medical care. While previous studies have primarily been focused on inpatient or emergency care areas, this study contributes insight about ambulatory and public areas. A multidisciplinary research team used a mixed-method triangulated approach to compare older patient’s experiences, perceptions, and capabilities with age-friendly environmental features. This study provides a model for future research to explore the experience of ambulation from the perspective of older patients in other settings and with a broader range of participants.

Lorusso, L., Park, N.-K., Bosch, S., Freytes, I. M., Shorr, R., Conroy, M., & Ahrentzen, S. (2020). Sensory environments for behavioral health in Dementia: Diffusion of an environmental innovation at the Veterans Health Administration. HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal, in press.

People with dementia react poorly to environmental stress which increases caregiver burden. Nonpharmacological treatments may help treat symptoms for veterans who are twice as likely to suffer from dementia and behavioral disturbances. Researchers interviewed staff in 12 of the Veterans Health Administration’s Community Living Centers to investigate the therapeutic value and veteran’s preference for multi-sensory environmental equipment within fixed room or mobile cart applications. Analysis revealed variable equipment prioritization.  Designers may facilitate increased access, greater flexibility, and stability to application by finding innovative ways to incorporate these elements into common spaces.

Join us for this virtual interactive, collaborative, problem-solving workshop intended to enable project stakeholders (designers, facility executives, administrators, care providers) to employ physical design strategies and methodologies that support improved care for children. Representatives from internationally acclaimed children’s hospitals will share insights into the latest developments and future direction for pediatric care. The esteemed faculty will present pediatric evidence-based design studies and best practices that integrate architecture, design and technology with innovative medical practice to create high-quality, high-tech care in a safe and enriching environment. Attendees will also share questions and ideas with the owners and faculty through interactive panel discussion.

Jenny Hastings, Principal at Boulder Associates Architects answers the question, “How has the pandemic affected Lean Management Practices in your firm?” Jenny begins, “We have projects that are speeding up, some that are slowing down.

The Workshop

The challenges created by today’s growing mental health and substance abuse crises, especially in light of the recent pandemic, reach far beyond the behavioral health unit into emergency departments, outpatient clinics and throughout acute and ambulatory care settings.

The Workshop  

In this workshop, expert faculty will share current physical, mental and societal challenges posed when individuals age, discuss programming and design interventions that can assist people (and their care givers) with those challenges, and present case studies and examples that integrate architecture, design and technology into healthy, safe living environments. 

Albala, L., Bober, T., Hale, G., Warfield, B., Collins, M. L., Merritt, Z., Steimetz, E., Nadler, S., Lev, Y., & Hanifin, J. (2019). Effect on nurse and patient experience: Overnight use of blue-depleted illumination. BMJ Open Quality, 8(3), e000692.

Nighttime caregiving requires light, and care providers often have no choice but to use blue-spectrum lighting that is disruptive to patient sleep. Researchers worked with a lighting expert to develop a blue-depleted light pod and compared outcomes between two nights with traditional lighting options and two nights with the light pods. Nurses were generally satisfied with the pods, and there was a statistically significant improvement in how patients rated their anxiety and depression. One of the most surprising findings from this study highlights the problem of nurses working in almost complete darkness in patient rooms to avoid disturbing patient sleep. And while blue-wavelength light is bad for patient sleep, no light is bad for everyone.

Devlin, A. S., Anderson, A., Hession-Kunz, S., Kelly, M., Noble, L., & Zou, A. (2020). Magnitude matters: Art image size and waiting time impact perceived quality of care. HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal, 13(3), 140–153.

Long wait times can have a negative impact on our healthcare experience and how we perceive the quality of care. Previous studies have looked at how the content of art may provide a positive distraction during a long wait. However, up until this 2020 study, no one has taken an empirical look at the effect of the size of the art on healthcare outcomes. Researchers used an online photo survey to investigate the effect of art size in an exam room. Results show that when it comes to art, size matters.

In this podcast, Alana M. Carter responds to the question, "how have you and your team responded to the pandemic and what’s happening now within your firm?” She shares, “It’s interesting as leaders.