Acoustic assessment of speech privacy curtains in two nursing units
2016
Noise & Health
Journal Article
Issue 80
Volume 18
Pages 26-35
Author(s): Pope, D. S., Miller-Klein, E. T.
Hospitals are environments with complex soundscapes, and some elements of these soundscapes can impede upon patient health and overall communication. Numerous sources of noise from equipment, movement, and increased speaking volumes combine with high reverberation rates, resulting in the need to speak increasingly louder.
Added March 2017
Investigation of Eligible Picture Categories for Use as Environmental Cues in Dementia-Sensitive Environments
2016
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 10
Pages 64-73
Author(s): Motzek, T., Bueter, K., Marquardt, G.
Dementia often manifests in populations of elderly people who are admitted to acute care facilities. The disorienting nature of hospital environments can exacerbate the condition of dementia, leading to challenging behavior from patients that can affect staff, other patients, and the patients themselves. Previous studies have found that personalized labels and signs, such as photographic portraits of residents themselves, are effective environmental markers in long-term healthcare facilities.
Added December 2016
Low stimulus environments: reducing noise levels in continuing care
2016
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 5
Pages 1-4
Author(s): Brown, J., Fawzi, W., Shah, A., Joyce, M., Holt, G., McCarthy, C., Stevenson, C., Marange, R., Shakes, J., Solomon-Ayeh, K.
This article highlights a project that aimed to reduce levels of intrinsic background noise on an adult mental health ward. Following intervention, the ward was able to decrease the background noise decibel level from 60dB to 53dB (on average).
Added November 2016
Systematic light exposure in the treatment of cancer-related fatigue: a preliminary study: Systematic light exposure in the treatment of cancer-related fatigue
2014
Psycho-Oncology
Journal Article
Issue 12
Volume 23
Pages 1431-1434
Author(s): Redd, W. H., Valdimarsdottir, H., Wu, L. M., Winkel, G., Byrne, E. E., Beltre, M. A., Liebman, E. S., Erazo, T., Hayes, J. A., Isola, L., Scigliano, E., Meschian, Y., Lutgendorf, S., Ancoli-Israel, S.
Patients with cancer frequently report the side effect of fatigue, which is described as distressing, persistent, and related to physical, emotional, and cognitive tiredness or exhaustion. Patients report feeling tired after resting during their treatments and long after the treatment has ended.
Added November 2016
Surface Finish Materials: Considerations for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
2016
Newborn and Infant Nursing Reviews
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 16
Pages 203-207
Author(s): Harris, D.
In this literature review, it is shown that a growing body of research has been focusing on how surface material finishes within neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) can contribute to the operational, clinical, and social aspects of health outcomes.
Added September 2016
Environmental Variables That Influence Patient Satisfaction: A Review of the Literature
2016
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 10
Pages 155-169
Author(s): MacAllister, L., Zimring, C., Ryherd, E.
This paper is a literature review that compiles a number of studies investigating the layouts and designs of hospitals and work settings, and the influences that these environments have on health and behavioral outcomes in patients. More specifically, this review seeks to identify possible links between physical and social environmental influences to self-reported patient outcomes. The authors wish to more fully understand the elements that influence patient satisfaction, and then begin a discussion over how physical and social environments can be further analyzed to enhance satisfaction.
Added September 2016
The ability of environmental healthcare design strategies to impact event related anxiety in pediatric patients: A comprehensive systematic review
Author(s): Norton-Westwood, D.
Healthcare settings such as hospitals or dentists’ offices have been known to contribute to the anxiety often experienced by patients receiving treatment. Anxiety has been linked to various health concerns, manifesting both physiologically and psychologically, that can result in prolonged hospital stays and other complications.
Added June 2016
Lost in space: The place of the architectural milieu in the aetiology and treatment of schizophrenia
2013
Facilities
Journal Article
Issue 9/10
Volume 31
Pages 427-448
Author(s): Golembiewski, J.
This article is a theoretical discussion concerning how designed and constructed environments can be significant factors in the psychogenesis of mental illnesses, particularly with non-affective psychoses. The authors believe that the current body of literature is lacking in resources that could help direct design decision-making to positively influence the well-being of mentally ill individuals. Discussing this matter may help identify specific qualities of the built environment that appear to be aetiologically related to psychosis.
Added June 2016
Effects of an Assisted Living Facility Specifically Designed for Individuals with Memory Disorders: A Pilot Study
2014
Journal of Housing For the Elderly
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 28
Pages 399-409
Author(s): Springate, B. A., Talwar, A. K., Tremont, G.
A 2007 study estimated that 14% of individuals over the age of 71 have dementia, and many of those individuals require some level of support with daily life. Furthermore, many of these individuals eventually move to assisted living (AL) facilities or nursing homes as they begin to require more assistance. Many people choose AL facilities due to pricing or the desire to be assisted rather than nursed. Previous studies have indicated that the physical environment of nursing homes can influence the overall well-being of residents with dementia. However, relatively few studies have assessed the effects of AL facility environments on the well-being of dementia patients.
Added June 2016
A nursing home staff tool for the indoor visual environment: The content validity
2016
Journal of Nursing Education and Practice
Journal Article
Issue 11
Volume 6
Pages 25-33
Author(s): Sinoo, M. M., Kort, H. S. M., Loomans, M. G. L. C., Schols, J. M. G. A.
Visual impairments affecting residents of nursing homes can arise from numerous causes, and they can directly affect these residents’ quality of life by jeopardizing their ability to participate in daily activities such as reading, watching television, or even interacting with others. The physical makeup of the nursing home itself can work to either help or hinder its residents, and in cases in which the environment is beneficial, the nursing home can be called an “environmental fit.
Added June 2016
Understanding Green Building Design and Healthcare Outcomes: Evidence-Based Design Analysis of an Oncology Unit
2016
Journal of Architectural Engineering
Journal Article
Author(s): Campion, N., Thiel, C. L., Focareta, J., Bilec, M. M.
The United States healthcare industry is a major part of the economy as well as a significant contributor to carbon dioxide emissions and other environmental issues. Green building design (GBD) attempts to offset environmental impacts of buildings, and recently designers have been combining GBD with evidence-based design (EBD) in order to create facilities that positively impact both the external and internal environment.
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
The design and initial evaluation of visual cues in carpets to assist walking
2016
The Journal of The Textile Institute
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 107
Pages 376-385
Author(s): McNeil, S. J., Tapp, L. S.
One way to reduce the occurrence of indoor falls for both elderly people and other individuals is to improve the design of floor coverings so that they can help create a safer walking environment. A growing number of studies are showing that the design of products such as carpets can specifically help older people lead more productive and independent lives by empowering them through safer opportunities for mobility.
Added May 2016
Managing Patient Falls in Psychiatric Inpatient Units: Part 1
2016
The Health Care Manager
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 35
Pages 21-27
Author(s): Abraham, S.
A significantly higher number of patient falls occur in hospital inpatient psychiatric units than in medical-surgical areas, resulting in issues with overall patient safety. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers patient falls a concern to society due to the safety issues they pose and financial strains they can cause for institutions.
Added April 2016
Shaping the slats of hospital patient room window blinds for daylighting and external view under desert clear skies
2016
Solar Energy
Journal Article
Author(s): Sherif, A., Sabry, H., Wagdy, A., Mashaly, I, Arafa, R.
Many previous studies have shown how natural lighting can contribute to the healing nature of a hospital’s environment by reducing patient fatigue, stress, and length of stay. Desert locations are often characterized by continually clear skies, making control of the sunlight even more essential to patient satisfaction. It is therefore important to determine the optimal shape of window blind slats so that discomfort can be reduced without compromising levels of illumination.
Added April 2016
Developing the Birth Unit Design Spatial Evaluation Tool (BUDSET) in Australia: A Qualitative Study
2010
Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 3
Pages 43-57
Author(s): Foureur, M., Leap, N., Davis, D., Forbes, I., & Homer, C.
To develop a tool to assess the “optimality” of birth unit design. This is important because “Optimal birth spaces are likely to enable women to have physiologically normal labor and birth.”
Added January 2016
Review: The impact of art, design and environment in mental healthcare: A systematic review of the literature
2008
The Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 128
Pages 85-94
Author(s): Daykin, N., Byrne, E., Soteriou, T., O'Connor, S.
There is increasing evidence that attractive environments can enhance the experiences of healthcare users. What creates attractive environments may be relative to the country where that healthcare is provided. This paper was written in the UK and was an attempt to find research that supports the use of art to create healing environments along with the role of art in encouraging civic pride. It was part of a two-year evaluation of a commissioned arts program in a UK mental health trust.
Added January 2016
Designing a “Think-Along Dwelling” for People with Dementia: A Co-Creation Project Between Health Care and the Building Services Sector
2013
Journal of Housing for the Elderly
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 27
Pages 299-332
Author(s): Van Hoof, J., Blom, M. M., Post, H. N. A., & Bastein, W. L
Many of the elderly prefer to age-in-place. However, if one of the elderly developments dementia, particular challenges may be posed when designing, constructing, or retrofitting an existing home environment. In the Netherlands about two-thirds of the people with dementia live at home. This is the setting for this study.
Added January 2016
The Impact of Bedside Technology on Patients’ Well-Being
2011
Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 5
Pages 43-51
Author(s): Tanja-Dijkstra K.
The presence of wires, tubes, and monitors near the bedside may contribute to patients’ stress and anxiety. One of the trends in healthcare design is to organize the headwalls of patient rooms in such a way as to reduce clutter and minimize the visibility of medical equipment.
Added January 2016
The Impact of an Acute Psychiatry Environment on Older Patients and Their Families
2014
Journal of Gerontological Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 20
Pages 1-7
Author(s): Hung, L., Loewen, E., Bindley, B., McLaren, D., Feist, T., & Phinney, A.
There is a lack of research that examines impact of the designed environment on the experience of older adults and their families in healthcare settings.
Added January 2016
