Reduced health care-associated infections in an acute care community hospital using a combination of self-disinfecting copper-impregnated composite hard surfaces and linens
2016
American Journal of Infection Control
Journal Article
Issue 12
Volume 44
Pages 1565-1571
Author(s): Sifri, C. D., Burke, G. H., Enfield, K. B.
Although significant progress has been made in the effort to reduce healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in hospitals over the past decade, facilities are still working to meet the HAI reduction goals set by the Department of Health & Human Service’s 2009 itinerary.
Added May 2018
Self-sanitizing copper-impregnated surfaces for bioburden reduction in patient rooms
2017
American Journal of Infection Control
Journal Article
Issue 6
Volume 45
Pages 692-694
Author(s): Coppin, J. D., Villamaria, F. C., Williams, M. D., Copeland, L. A., Zeber, J. E., Jinadatha, C.
Hard surfaces inside hospital environments are particularly susceptible to hosting dangerous, drug-resistant pathogens that can cause harmful infections. These infections can go on to negatively impact patients, caregivers, and overall facility operations.
Added May 2018
The Influence of Traffic, Area Location, and Other Factors on Operating Room Microbial Load
2018
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 39
Pages 391-397
Author(s): Taaffe, K., Lee, B., Ferrand, Y., Fredendall, L., San, D., Salgado, C., Shvorin, D., Khoshkenar, A., Reeves, S., Realizing Improved Patient Care through Human-Centered Design in the Operating Room (RIPCHD OR) Study Group
Traffic movement in hospitals causes disturbances and helps spread microbiota. Operating rooms (OR) can have surgical site infections (SSI) that are dangerous and can result in complications for patients.
Added April 2018
Effects of Impact-Absorbing Flooring in Residential Care from the Perspectives of Enrolled Nurses
2017
Journal of Housing For the Elderly
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 31
Pages 367-381
Author(s): Gustavsson, J., Rahm, G., Jernbro, C., Nilson, F.
Despite the fact that patient falls happen on a daily basis, there are few effective solutions for reducing fall-related injuries.
Added April 2018
The Seniors' Outdoor Survey (SOS Tool): A Proposed Weighting and Scoring Framework to Assess Outdoor Environments in Residential Care Settings
2018
Journal of Housing For the Elderly
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 32
Pages 99-120
Author(s): Bardenhagen, E., Rodiek, S., Nejati, A., Lee, C.
As the numbers of elderly patients seeking professional care increase demands on many different healthcare facilities, healthcare professionals continue to pursue advances in both pharmacological and non-pharmacological tools to help improve patient recovery and overall quality of life. Access to outdoor spaces, especially within medical care contexts, has been shown to promote considerable improvements in patient recovery and overall experience. In the case of elderly patient populations who may be living or seeking extended treatment within healthcare environments, consideration of patient preferences and intended uses of such outdoor spaces is of high importance.
Added April 2018
Can a Virtual Nature Experience Reduce Anxiety and Agitation in People With Dementia?
2018
Journal of Housing For the Elderly
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 32
Pages 176-193
Author(s): Reynolds, L., Rodiek, S., Lininger, M., McCulley, A.
By 2050, the numbers of individuals in the United States with dementia is projected to be 16 million, with a current cost of care at $259 billion. The majority of individuals with dementia experience stressful emotions of agitation and anxiety, along with associated behaviors, that are challenging for their caregivers.
Added April 2018
Top Five Physical Design Factors Contributing to Fall Initiation
2018
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 11
Pages 50-64
Author(s): Pati, D., Lee, J., Mihandoust, S., Kazem-Zadeh, M., Oh, Y.
Falls in older patients are dangerous and are of major concern for healthcare professionals. Several studies were done on the associated causes of the falls but few have addressed the impact of the physical environment.
Added April 2018
Through the Eyes of the User: Evaluating Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Design
2018
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 11
Pages 49-65
Author(s): Denham, M. E., Bushehri, Y., Lim, Lisa
Premature babies require special care in neonatal intensive care units (NICU). This could take on average 80 days and would include the presence of the mother for proper infant development.
Added March 2018
“Everything Happens in the Hallways”: Exploring User Activity in the Corridors at Two Rehabilitation Units
2017
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 11
Pages 163-176
Author(s): Colley, J., Zeeman, H., Kendall, E.
This research study focused on recording activities occurring in corridors of a Spinal Cord Injury Unit and a Brain Injury Unit and how the design of the corridor influences the activities affecting patients and staff experience. The study results focused on three factors: mobility/movement, delivery of care and experience of that care, and finally “spillover space” activities (activities occurring in the corridor other than mobility/movement).
Added February 2018
Safety, Performance, and Satisfaction Outcomes in the Operating Room: A Literature Review
2018
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 11
Pages 137-150
Author(s): Joseph, A., Bayramzadeh, S., Zamani, Z., Rostenberg, B.
There are many operating rooms (ORs) constructed more than 30 years ago that remain operational today, and many of these spaces are inadequately designed to withstand the processes, equipment, and people needed for contemporary OR procedures. Even in developed countries, patients undergoing inpatient surgeries experience major complications 3-22% of the time.
Added February 2018
The Role of Environmental Design in Cancer Prevention, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Survivorship: A Systematic Literature Review
2018
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 11
Pages 18–32
Author(s): Gharaveis, A., Kazem-Zadeh, M.
Approximately 1.6 million new cancer cases are diagnosed annually in the United States. New techniques for treating cancer are constantly being developed, with many healthcare professionals and designers turning towards more patient-centered services and designs to achieve better patient outcomes.
Added February 2018
The Impact of Operating Room Layout on Circulating Nurse’s Work Patterns and Flow Disruptions: A Behavioral Mapping Study
2018
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 11
Pages 124–138
Author(s): Bayramzadeh, S., Joseph, A., San, D., Khoshkenar, Amin, Taaffe, K., Jafarifiroozabadi, R., Neyens, D. M.
While there are studies focused on the effect that architectural layout, space planning, and adjacencies have on workflow patterns at the unit level, there are few studies at the micro level of individual procedure rooms or surgical suites. The layout of the OR and the placement of equipment may contribute to extraneous and unnecessary movement or create barriers to safety and efficiency, resulting in surgical workflow disruption (SFDs).
Added February 2018
Acoustic environments of patient room in a typical geriatric ward
2018
Applied Acoustics
Journal Article
Author(s): Jerlehag, C., Lee, P. J., Park, S. H., Jones, T., Carroll, N.
Previous studies have thoroughly demonstrated the harmful effects of background noise within healthcare environments; one study found that high levels of background noise disrupted patient sleep cycles, while even higher levels of noise led to elevated heart rates among nurses.
Added January 2018
Evaluation of the potential for virus dispersal during hand drying: a comparison of three methods
2016
Journal of Applied Microbiology
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 120
Pages 478-486
Author(s): Kimmitt, P. T., Redway, K. F.
A previously published literature review found that the main factors influencing bacterial counts on peoples’ hands were the type of soap and the drying method used. Previous research has also established that inadequately dried hands are more likely to transmit micro-organisms than fully dried hands. While previous studies have focused on how different hand drying methods contribute to the spread of micro-organisms within the immediate environment, few have focused specifically on virus particles in this context.
Added January 2018
Temperature-controlled airflow ventilation in operating rooms compared with laminar airflow and turbulent mixed airflow
2017
Journal of Hospital Infection
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 98
Pages 181-190
Author(s): Alsved, M., Civilis, A., Ekolind, P., Tammelin, A., Andersson, A. Erichsen, Jakobsson, J., Svensson, T., Ramstorp, M., Sadrizadeh, S., Larsson, P-A., Bohgard, M., Šantl-Temkiv, T., Löndahl, J.
Maintaining a low concentration of bacteria within operating room (OR) air is a widely accepted solution to preventing surgical site infections (SSI). As bacteria become more resistant to antibiotics, researchers and designers are working to improve OR ventilation systems in order to decrease SSI. The usual types of ventilation systems employed to mitigate SSI in ORs are laminar airflow (LAF) and turbulent mixed airflow (TMA) systems. However, there is a lack of available research to help designers make informed decisions about which systems to use in specific contexts. A new ventilation system, temperature-controlled airflow (TCAF), also needs further analysis.
Added January 2018
Sleep in intensive care unit: The role of environment
2017
Journal of Critical Care
Journal Article
Issue Supplement C
Volume 37
Pages 99-105
Author(s): Boyko, Y., Jennum, P., Nikolic, M., Holst, R., Oerding, H., Toft, P.
Several previous studies have linked abnormal, often-disrupted patient sleep patterns to impaired immune system function and various detriments to cognitive performance. Patients receiving treatment in an intensive care unit (ICU) are often subjected to several variables that can easily disrupt their sleep patterns, such as light, noise, frequent therapeutic procedures, and the patient’s illness or injury itself. Previous studies concerning ICU patient sleep quality largely involved qualitative data from patient-answered questionnaires and typically did not involve populations of severely ill ICU patients.
Added December 2017
Integrating Lean Exploration Loops Into Healthcare Facility Design: Schematic Phase
2017
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 10
Pages 131-141
Author(s): Johnson, K., Mazur, L. M., Chadwick, J., Pooya, P., Amos, A., McCreery, J.
Lean Exploration Loops (LELs) are part of a Lean production methodology that involves thinking preemptively about the “next steps” within a process and rapidly generating, testing, and evaluating these next steps prior to any formal narrowing-down of viable options. Lean production models are applied within healthcare environments in a variety of ways; however, this study is unique in how it presents the use of LELs during the “schematic phase” of construction planning for a new large surgical tower. Although the schematic phase usually entails determining the layout for each floor of a given building, this study focuses only on the second floor of the new tower due to its role as the “master floor.”
Added December 2017
Feasibility of noise reduction by a modification in ICU environment
2016
Physiological Measurement
Journal Article
Issue 7
Volume 37
Pages 1041-1055
Author(s): Luetz, A., Weiss, B., Penzel, T., Fietze, I., Glos, M, Wernecke, K. D., Bluemke, B., Dehn, A. M., Willemeit, T., Finke, A., Spies, C.
Noise can adversely affect sleep quality, which is important to the recovery of ICU patients. Two ICU rooms in a German hospital were re-designed with the objective of reducing noise. The authors conducted a study wherein they examined the impact of these modifications on sound pressure levels (SPL) in these rooms.
Added December 2017
Could we predict airborne Aspergillus contamination during construction work?
2017
American Journal Of Infection Control
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 45
Pages 39-41
Author(s): Pilmis, B., Thepot-Seegers, V., Angebault, C., Weiss, E., Alaabouche, I., Bougnoux, M.-E., Zahar, J.-R.
Hospital infections during construction work are common due to airborne pathogens. A major contributor is Aspergillus, which spreads from the outdoors during demolition and construction.
Added December 2017
Decentralization: The Corridor Is the Problem, Not the Alcove
2018
Critical Care Nursing Quarterly
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 41
Pages 3-9
Author(s): Hamilton, D. K., Swoboda, S. M., Lee, J.-T., Anderson, D. C.
This study explored changes within the healthcare industry (e.g., single-patient rooms, electronic medical records, etc.) and the shift to a more linear unit design as factors that could be leading to communication breakdowns, challenging the notion that a decentralized nursing station is the primary contributor.
Added December 2017
