The energy saving potential of wide windows in hospital patient rooms, optimizing the type of glazing and lighting control strategy under different climatic conditions
2020
Energies
Journal Article
Issue 8
Volume 13
Pages 2116
Author(s): Cesari, S., Valdiserri, P., Coccagna, M., Mazzacane, S.
The heating and cooling of patient rooms creates extremely high energy demands, especially since these rooms typically are located around building perimeters to provide natural daylight, and therefore are most affected by the condition of the building’s envelope.
Added October 2020
The impact of windows on the outcomes of medical intensive care unit patients
2018
International Journal of Gerontology
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 12
Pages 67-70
Author(s): Chiu, W.-C., Chang, P.-S., Hsieh, C.-F., Chao, C.-M., Lai, C.-C.
Numerous studies have demonstrated the positive impact that natural lighting can have on patient experiences, both in terms of overall mood and even overall recovery time. Exposure to regular rhythms of natural lighting can positively influence human sleeping patterns, which can play a large role in supporting positive moods and timely recoveries.
Added July 2018
Door locking and exit security measures on acute psychiatric admission wards: Door locking on admission wards
2011
Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 7
Volume 18
Pages 614-621
Author(s): Nijman, H., Bowers, L., Haglund, K., Muir-Cochrane, E., Simpson, A., Van Der Merwe, M.
Locked exit doors exist in psychiatric wards for various reasons. Sometimes regional legislation requires locked exits in these wards. At other times, these security measures are put in place in order to prevent patients from escaping a facility, to prevent unwelcome visits, to enhance the staff’s sense of control, or to improve overall patient and staff safety.
Added June 2017
Different Types of Door-Opening Motions as Contributing Factors to Containment Failures in Hospital Isolation Rooms
2013
PLOS ONE
Journal Article
Issue 6
Volume 8
Pages e66663
Author(s): Tang, J. W., Nicolle, A., Pantelic, J., Klettner, C. A., Su, R., Kalliomaki, P., Saarinen, P., Koskela, H., Reijula, K., Mustakallio, P., Cheong, D. K. W., Sekhar, C., Tham, K. W., Costa, C.
When under negative pressure, hospital isolation rooms are essential for both the containment of patients emitting airborne infectious agents as well as the protection of other patients from these agents. A plethora of different doors are used in the construction of these rooms, but relatively few studies have analyzed how certain door-opening motions and the passage of healthcare workers through these doors can affect the overall performance of isolation rooms.
Added December 2016
Analysis of circadian stimulus allowed by daylighting in hospital rooms
2017
Lighting Research and Technology
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 49
Pages 49-61
Author(s): Acosta, I, Leslie, R. P., Figueiro, M. G.
Light is the major synchronizer of circadian rhythms to the 24-hour solar day. Compared to the visual system, the circadian system requires more light to be activated and is more sensitive to short-wavelength light. For those confined indoors, such as patients or residents in care facilities, the lack of access to daylight, or electric lighting providing a comparable amount, spectrum, distribution, duration, and timing, may compromise their human health and well-being.
Added November 2016
A Recovery-Oriented Care Approach: Weighing the Pros and Cons of a Newly Built Mental Health Facility
2016
Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 54
Pages 39–48
Author(s): Ahern, C. C., Bieling, P., McKinnon, M. C., McNeely, H. E., Langstaff, K.
An inpatient mental health hospital was renovated with a newly built environment that incorporated patient-centered, clinically informed designs in an attempt to improve overall safety and quality of care. The new designs were considerably expensive and had extensive design implications for other parts of the hospital outside of the mental health facility.
Added June 2016
Performance Evaluation of 32 LEED Hospitals on Operation Costs
Volume 145
Pages 1234-1241
Author(s): Sadatsafavi, H., Shepley, M. M.
As healthcare needs increase, providers strive to reduce operational costs while simultaneously increasing healthcare facility construction and renovation efforts. At the same time, certification programs such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) are examples of the emerging concerns regarding the environmental impact of healthcare facilities. The authors note that the number of studies documenting the benefits of more “green” facilities is limited; however, they hypothesize that upon comparing LEED-certified hospitals with uncertified ones, the LEED facilities will prove to have lower-than-average maintenance costs.
Added June 2016
Impact of the Physical Environment of Residential Health, Care, and Support Facilities (RHCSF) on Staff and Residents A Systematic Review of the Literature
2015
Environment and Behavior
Journal Article
Issue 10
Volume 48
Pages 1203-1241
Author(s): Joseph, A., Choi, Y.-S., Quan, X.
Strategies related to the design of the built environment should be considered within the context of the culture of the organization and the resident population. This study of the physical environment of residential health, care, and support facilities addresses the range of settings and population, where other studies have been lacking. The literature review strongly suggests that the built environment is an important component of care provided in residential care settings.
Added May 2016
Comparative Analysis of Hospital Energy Use: Pacific Northwest and Scandinavia
2014
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 8
Pages 20-44
Author(s): Burpee, H., McDade, E.
Today, operational hospitals in the United States consume an enormous amount of energy. This study is an outgrowth of previous research evaluating high-quality, low-energy hos pitals that serve as examples for new high-performance hospital design, construction, and operation.
Added May 2015
Energy Efficient Hospital Patient Room Design: Effect of Room Shape on Window-to-Wall Ratio in a Desert Climate
Author(s): Sherif, A., Sabry, H., Arafa, R., Wagby, A.
Windows are significant to the healing process in hospitals because of their ability to provide access to daylight and external views. However, in desert climates windows also contribute to increased hospital energy consumption because of the increased cooling load.
Added March 2015
Building design and performance: A comparative longitudinal assessment of a children's hospital
2014
Building and Environment
Journal Article
Author(s): Thiel, C. L., Needy, K. L., Ries, R., Hupp, D., Bilec, M. M.
The aesthetics and design of a medical treatment facility can influence energy consumption, staff performance, and patient recovery. Evidence-Based Design (EBD) has been cited in many studies as an effective way to improve healthcare outcomes and hospitals’ performance, but further investigation is needed. This is particularly true at a whole-building level, to reveal the relationship between building design and health, and to observe the performance of newer building designs, especially with regard to green healthcare buildings.
Added November 2014
Comparison of a sample of green hospitals with non-green hospitals with respect to operating expenses and patient revenue
2014
Journal of Green Building
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 9
Pages 163-188
Author(s): Sadatsafavai, H., Walewski, J., Taborn, M.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) has been an influential program behind the design, construction, and operation of green healthcare facilities across the U.S. Generally, green hospitals are designed to provide long-term ecological and financial benefits by promoting more efficient use of water, energy, and materials.
Added November 2014
Project Coalitions in Healthcare Construction Projects and the Application of Real Options: An Exploratory Survey
2013
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 7
Pages 14-36
Author(s): van Reedt Dortland, M., Dewulf, G., Voordijk, H.
To ensue easy adaptation to the increasingly complex and changing healthcare environment, flexibility in healthcare assets is necessary. However, minimal research has been conducted to gain insight into how health organizations currently integrate flexibility into their real estate projects.
Added September 2014
Functional Outcomes of Nursing Home Residents in Relation to Features of the Environment: Validity of the Professional Environmental Assessment Protocol
2012
Journal of the American Medical Directors Association
Journal Article
Issue 5
Volume 13
Pages e1-7
Author(s): Slaughter, S. E., Morgan, D. G.
Research conducted in different settings shows that specialized environments designed for people with dementia may reduce the rate of functional loss. Different measures have been developed to assess the nursing home environments focused on the features of specialized dementia units. Among them, the Professional Environmental Assessment Protocol (PEAP) was developed to assess the quality of dementia care environments on nine dimensions. Assessment involves subjective evaluation of the physical and social environment on a 5-point scale for each dimension.
Added September 2014
Radical Redesign of Nursing Homes: Applying the Green House Concept in Tupelo, Mississippi
2006
The Gerontologist
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 46
Pages 533-539
Author(s): Rabig, J., Thomas, W., Kane, R. A., Cutler, L. J., McAlilly, S.
The Green House design should be considered as nursing home resident numbers are growing. Early experiences with the “pod-like” structure show positive effects on residents, families, and staff.
Added September 2014
Perceived hospital environment quality indicators: A study of orthopaedic units
2006
Journal of Environmental Psychology
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 26
Pages 321-334
Author(s): Fornara, F., Bonaiuto, M., Bonnes, M.
The field of healthcare design has increasingly recognized the need for building environments that are more ‘‘user-centered,’’ but spatial–physical features have not typically been included in assessment surveys on patient satisfaction.
Added July 2014
Enhancing the traditional hospital design process: a focus on patient safety
March 2004
The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Safety
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 30
Pages 115-24
Author(s): Reiling, J.G., Knutzen, B.L., Wallen, T.K., McCullough, S. , Miller, R., Chernos, S.
The current study is an overview of innovative system engineering and patient safety factors, named as the Synergy model that a hospital system utilized to design their new facility.
Added April 2014
Natural Ventilation for the Prevention of Airborne Contagion
2007
PlOS Medicine
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 4
Pages e68
Author(s): Escombe, R.R., Oeser, C.I., Gilman, R.H., Navincopa, M., Martinez, C., Chacaltana, J., Rodriguez, R., Moore, D.J., Friedland, J.S., Evans, C.A.
Controlling the break of nosocomial infections is arguably the highest priority in hospitals. Institutional transmission of airborne infections, such as Tubercolosis (TB) are, additionally, a public health concern. This is particularly true for developing countries, or other resource-limited settings where protective measures such as negative-pressure isolation rooms, which have become the norm in more modern settings, are difficult to implement. The global statistics on TB are staggering at 1.8 million dealths a year.
Added October 2012
A Novel PACU Design for Noise Reduction
2008
Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 23
Pages 226-229
Author(s): Smykowski, L.
As redesign and renovation of patient care units occur, health care providers need to consider the importance of lowering environmental stressors. Noise in the hospital environment is one well documented problem, with detrimental effects to both patients and staff. The paper reviews the redesign of the organization's PACU that explored a unique floor plan to minimize noise and improve privacy.
Added October 2012
View Through a Window May Influence Recovery from Surgery
1984
Science
Journal Article
Issue 4647
Volume 224
Pages 420-421
Author(s): Ulrich, R.S.
Examined records on recovery after cholecystectomy of 46 patients admitted to a suburban hospital between 1972 and 1981 to determine whether assignment to a room with a window view of a natural setting might have restorative influences. Ss were matched in pairs according to sex, age, smoking or nonsmoking status, obese or normal weight status, year of surgery, and floor level (2nd or 3rd). Data...
Added October 2012
