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Knowledge Repository

A complete, user-friendly database of healthcare design research references MoreLess about the Knowledge Repository

The Knowledge Repository is a complete, user-friendly database of healthcare design research references that continues to grow with the latest peer-reviewed publications. Start with our Knowledge Repository for all of your searches for articles and research citations on healthcare design topics. Access full texts through the source link, read key point summaries, or watch slidecasts. Expand your search and find project briefs, interviews, and other relevant resources by visiting our Insights & Solutions page.

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Displaying 1 - 20 of 218

Analysis of functional layout in emergency departments (ED). Shedding light on the free standing emergency department (FSED) model

Author(s): Brambilla, A., Mangili, S., Das, M., Lal, S., Capolongo, S.
Research shows that emergency departments (EDs) are facing overcrowding, increasing patient acuity, and short staffing, which all are impacting wait times to be seen and patient satisfaction scores.
Key Point Summary
Added December 2022

Environmental transformations enhancing dignity in an acute psychiatric ward: Outcome of a user-driven service design project

Author(s): Faerden, A., Rosenqvist, C., Håkansson, M., Strøm-Gundersen, E., Stav, Å., Svartsund, J., Røssæg, T., Davik, N., Kvarstein, E., Pedersen, G., Dieset, I., Nyrud, A. Q., Weedon-Fekjær, H., Kistorp, K. M.
Research shows that the concept of dignity within psychiatric health seclusion is reflected mainly in patient care delivery rather than the environmental components of a healthcare setting. Still common are sparsely furnished rooms, white paint, and limited access to natural light or views of the outdoors.
Key Point Summary
Added December 2022

Designing a cardiac intensive care unit by employing an evidence-based design approach

Author(s): Alansari, A., Quan, X.
Research shows that the design of the physical environment of cardiac intensive care units (CICUs) plays a significant role in patient outcomes, patient safety, and quality of care. Evidence-based design decisions further influence healthcare personnel well-being, such as reducing workplace injuries and workers’ compensation claims.
Key Point Summary
Added December 2022

An exploratory study testing environmental wayfinding aids as an intervention for children with autism

Author(s): Irish, J. E. N.
Previous research has found that some people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have difficulties navigating complex physical environments, such as hospitals. Previous research has also indicated that due to the hypersensitive nature of some people living with ASD, sensitive environmental designs may be especially important for them.
Key Point Summary
Added July 2022

The healthcare workspace: Understanding the role of decentralized nursing stations, corridors, and huddle spaces as locations for teamwork in a neonatal intensive care unit

Author(s): Fay, L., Real, K., Haynes, S.
Neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) host fragile and vulnerable patients. Research studies on NICUs with a single-family room (SFR) layout demonstrate benefits to both neonates and their parents but the impact on staff remains unclear. The decentralization associated with SFRs may impair teamwork.
Key Point Summary
Added June 2022

Operating room nurses’ experiences of limited access to daylight in the workplace – a qualitative interview study

Author(s): Golvani, J., Roos, L., Henricson, M.
Artificial light can result in headaches, fatigue, and decreased eyesight. Lack of natural daylight can cause vitamin D deficiency, sleep difficulty, and mood and memory changes, including depression. Surgical nurses spend long hours in windowless environments, under artificial lights, with few opportunities to go outside during work.
Key Point Summary
Added November 2021

Comfort equals nurturing: Young people talk about mental health ward design

Author(s): Hutton, A., Wilson, R., Foureur, M.
Literature demonstrates that patient care outcomes and satisfaction can be significantly influenced by the healthcare environment. This research focuses on the design of mental health wards for adolescent patients and highlights understanding and implementing the viewpoints of adolescent patients in the design of mental health spaces.
Key Point Summary
Added July 2021

Exploring the spatial arrangement of patient rooms for minimum nurse travel in hospital nursing units in Korea

Author(s): Lee, J., Lee, H., Shepley, M. M.
Studies have shown that when nurses have to walk long distances, time at the patient bedside is reduced and nursing fatigue and stress increase. The arrangement of patient rooms within a nursing unit can impact nurse well-being and optimize patient care.
Key Point Summary
Added September 2020

The influence of spatial configuration on the frequency of use of hand sanitizing stations in health care environments

Author(s): Neo, J. R. J., Zadeh, R.
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) affect over 1.7 million people each year, and subsequently cost the U.S. economy approximately $8.2 billion each year. Hand hygiene compliance (HHC), which involves washing hands thoroughly with alcohol-based rubs or soap and water, is widely regarded as a major prevention measure against the transmission of pathogens that cause HAIs.
Key Point Summary
Added December 2018

The effect of vertical split-flow patient management on emergency department throughput and efficiency

Author(s): Garrett, J. S., Berry, C., Wong, H., Qin, H., Kline, J. A.
In some emergency departments (EDs), the severity of a patient’s condition is rated on a 5-point scale during admission using the Emergency Service Index (ESI). Under the “split-flow” model of patient triaging, patients with less-severe conditions (rated an ESI 4 or 5) are “fast tracked” so that they can be separated from patients with higher ESI scores, allowing for more efficient resource allocation for all patient treatment procedures.
Key Point Summary
Added December 2018

Introduction of a horizontal and vertical split flow model of emergency department patients as a response to overcrowding

Author(s): Wallingford, G., Joshi, N., Callagy, P., Stone, J., Brown, I., Shen, S.
Hospital emergency departments (EDs) strive to optimally organize patient flow so that optimal care can be delivered while patient length of stay is minimized. The emergency severity index (ESI) is a 5-point scale used to help medical staff discern the severity of patient conditions; higher ESI scores indicate less-severe medical conditions.
Key Point Summary
Added December 2018

Human factors considerations in designing for infection prevention and control in neonatal care – findings from a pre-design inquiry

Author(s): Trudel, C., Cobb, S., Momtahan, K., Brintnell, J., Mitchell, A.
As healthcare environments are being more frequently redesigned to improve patient experiences and provider operations, it becomes increasingly important that healthcare providers themselves understand how these new designs are intended to be utilized. Giving healthcare providers a deeper understanding of the functions and purposes underlying important healthcare design decisions could help reduce potential operational errors or staff frustrations.
Key Point Summary
Added December 2018

Understanding Wayfinding Experience of Hospital Visitor through Tours and Maps Analysis

Author(s): Mustikawati, T., Yatmo, Y. A., Atmodiwirjo, P.
Hospitals are complex environments full of many visitors, staff members, and patients. This kind of environment can make simple navigation difficult for visitors in particular.
Key Point Summary
Added December 2018

A regional survey on residents’ preferences on patient-centered medical home design in rural areas

Author(s): Cai, H., Spreckelmeyer, K., Mendenhall, A., Li, D., Holmes, C., Levy, M.
The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) is a delivery model for primary care that is characterized by the recognition of unique patient needs while providing accessible services, a focus on safety and quality, comprehensive care, and coordinated care.
Key Point Summary
Added December 2018

Healthcare signage design: A review on recommendations for effective signing systems

Author(s): Rodrigues, R., Coelho, R., Tavares, J. M. R. S.
Studies have shown that designing “patient-centric” healthcare environments can alleviate stress for both patient populations as well as healthcare staff members. Patient-centric designs carefully consider how patients will interact with the built environment, and how the built environment itself can work to make their healing process easier.
Key Point Summary
Added December 2018

Deliberate Perioperative Systems Design Improves Operating Room Throughput

Author(s): Sandberg, W. S., Daily, B., Egan, M., Stahl, J. E., Goldman, J. M., Wiklund, R. A., Rattner, D.
Operating rooms (ORs) are complex and sensitive environments that are typically expensive to operate and maintain. Minimally invasive surgical procedures are becoming increasingly more prevalent in many OR environments, while the costs of operating and maintaining OR environments are simultaneously increasing.
Key Point Summary
Added November 2018

Design lessons from the analysis of nurse journeys in a hospital ward

Author(s): Nazarian, M., Price, A., Demian, P., Malekzadeh, M.
This article outlines a method that was used to determine how nurses travel in the corridor and common spaces of a single nursing unit.
Key Point Summary
Added November 2018

Objective and subjective evaluation of psychiatric ward redesign

Author(s): Whitehead, C. C., Polsky, R. H., Crookshank, C., Fik, E.
At the time of this study, relatively little research had been done to explore the potential benefits of incorporating architectural designs geared specifically towards improved patient well-being in psychiatric treatment environments. A “psychoenvironmental” model incorporating therapeutic architectural designs into psychiatric healthcare environments was developed before the publication of this study; however, this particular model had not yet been examined empirically.
Key Point Summary
Added August 2018

Does the redesign of a psychiatric inpatient unit change the treatment process and outcomes?

Author(s): Urbanoski, K. A., Mulsant, B. H., Novotna, G., Ehtesham, S., Rush, B. R.
The overall “atmosphere” of a psychiatric treatment facility could be defined through the availability of patient autonomy and support from peers, the presence of aggressive behavior within the ward, and the general sense of ward organization and rule enforcement.
Key Point Summary
Added August 2018

Understanding Design Vulnerabilities in the Physical Environment Relating to Patient Fall Patterns in a Psychiatric Hospital: Seven Years of Sentinel Events

Author(s): Bayramzadeh, S., Portillo, M., Carmel-Gilfilen, C.
Finding effective ways to prevent patient falls and fall-related injuries has been an ongoing struggle and debate for many modern medical practitioners. Previous studies have shown that nearly 30% of falls that occur in hospital settings result in injuries and, subsequently, additional treatments.
Key Point Summary
Added June 2018