The healthcare workspace: Understanding the role of decentralized nursing stations, corridors, and huddle spaces as locations for teamwork in a neonatal intensive care unit
2022
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 15
Pages 270-282
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.
Added June 2022
Placing users at the center: Evaluating exam room design for improved user experience
2022
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 15
Pages 152-166
Author(s): Matić, Z., Oh, Y., Lim, L., Zimring, C.
While outpatient exam rooms have remained largely unchanged for the past few decades, limited research suggests that design configurations can influence the quality of care. The relationship of the door, exam table, EHR, and sink can support patient privacy, patient-provider communication, and provider efficiency.
Added June 2022
The demand for specialization and its influence on the design of inpatient nursing units: Can standardized design be done once and for all?
2022
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 15
Pages 154-170
Author(s): Xuan, X., Duan, X., Feng, Z.
Research shows that specialized units, such as psychiatry and intensive care, require built environments that are specific to their patient populations. Medical-surgical units within the same facility typically have similar physical layouts even though they often serve distinct patient populations.
Added April 2022
Clinic design for safety during the pandemic: Safety or teamwork, can we only pick one?
2022
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 15
Pages 28-41
Author(s): Lim, L., Zimring, C. M., DuBose, J. R., Fischer, G. M., Stroebel, R.
Research shows that teamwork improves patient and staff outcomes, reduces medical errors, and enhances quality of care. Teams are more effective when team members work in close proximity, are visually connected, and cross paths throughout the work day, but these practices can be detrimental during a pandemic.
Added April 2022
Women’s experiences of physical features in a specially designed birthing room: A mixed-methods study in Sweden
2022
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 15
Pages 193-205
Author(s): Skogström, L. B., Vithal, E., Wijk, H., Lindahl, G., Berg, M.
Prior research shows that birthing environments that support privacy, safety, and comfort can have a positive impact on labor outcomes. Familiar homelike features and rooms that allow for free movement have been linked with shorter labor and reduced pain.
Added March 2022
Emergency psychiatric assessment, treatment, and healing (EmPATH) unit decreases hospital admission for patients presenting with suicidal ideation in rural America
2022
Academic Emergency Medicine
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 29
Pages 142-149
Author(s): Kim, A. K., Vakkalanka, J. P., Van Heukelom, P., Tate, J., Lee, S.
The number of patients in Emergency Departments (EDs) with mental health issues and suicide ideation has been on the rise, and studies outline the impact on outcomes such as delays in care and ED overcrowding and boarding. Emergency Psychiatric Assessment, Treatment, and Healing (EmPATH) units support increased access to mental healthcare with reduced burdens on EDs.
Added February 2022
Patient and clinician engagement with health information in the primary care waiting room: A mixed methods case study
2019
Journal of Public Health Research
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 8
Pages 1476
Author(s): Penry Williams, C., Elliott, K., Gall, J., Woodward-Kron, R.
Health literacy (i.e., the ability to understand medical information) is a big part of how people make decisions about their health. The availability of health information in waiting rooms has the potential to provide education to people who may not otherwise have access.
Added February 2022
Designing palliative care facilities to better support patient and family care: A staff perspective
2022
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 15
Pages 149–162
Author(s): McLaughlan, R., Richards, K., Lipson-Smith, R., Collins, A., Philip, J.
There are several factors that make palliative care unique, including longer lengths of stay, the number of visitors, and considerations around end-of-life care. Staff perceive that privacy, a homelike environment, and safety are important for their ability to provide comfort and support to both patients and families.
Added February 2022
Responsiveness and adaptability of healthcare facilities in emergency scenarios: COVID-19 experience
2022
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 19
Pages 675
Author(s): Łukasik, M., Porębska, A.
COVID-19 exposed shortcomings in hospitals’ abilities to accommodate emergency scenarios with efficiency and preparedness. Prior research evaluates strategies for resilient hospitals, such as the use of architectural methods to reduce bacterial infection.
Added January 2022
The hospital of the future: Rethinking architectural design to enable new patient-centered treatment concepts
2022
International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery
Journal Article
Volume 17
Pages 1177-1187
Author(s): Amato, C., McCanne, L., Yang, C., Ostler, D., Ratib, O., Wilhelm, D., Bernhard, L.
The current hospital designs that employ segregated specialty approaches create limitations in involving and communicating between clinical disciplines. In addition, these approaches require the movement of patients between places, which impacts the delivered care and increases the cost and stay durations.
Added January 2022
Impact of distance on stroke inpatients’ mobility in rehabilitation clinics: a shadowing study
2021
Building Research & Information
Journal Article
Issue 1-2
Volume 50
Pages 74-88
Author(s): Kevdzija, M., Marquardt, G.
Failure to rehabilitate after experiencing a stroke frequently results in a patient’s admission to long-term care. There is a need to understand how size and spatial configuration of rehabilitation settings can support wayfinding and help patients overcome mobility barriers.
Added December 2021
A study of workspace design characteristics exemplified by nurses’ satisfaction within three intensive care units in a university hospital
2022
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 15
Pages 49-62
Author(s): Obeidat, B., Younis, M. B., Al-Shlool, E., Alzouby, A.
Nursing job satisfaction can be influenced by the healthcare system, organizational factors, job requirements, and individual characteristics. This study focuses on nursing satisfaction within three different ICU layouts in a Jordanian healthcare facility.
Added November 2021
Operating room nurses’ experiences of limited access to daylight in the workplace – a qualitative interview study
2021
BMC Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 20
Pages 227
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.
Added November 2021
The continuous learning cycle: A multi-phase post-occupancy evaluation (POE) of decentralized nursing unit design
2022
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 15
Pages 134-148
Author(s): Cai, H., Spreckelmeyer, K.
Post-occupancy evaluation (POE) is viewed as a valuable component of the healthcare design process and can be used in the evidence-based research process to make design decisions. Research is limited that documents findings of POEs to make informed decisions for future projects.
Added November 2021
Investigating the Feasibility of Multisensory Environments to Improve the Assisted Bathing Experience for Veterans with Dementia: A Clinical Trial
2022
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 15
Pages 180-195
Author(s): Lorusso, L., Bosch, S., Park, N.-K., Shorr, R., Conroy, M., Ahrentzen, S., Freytes, M.
While multisensory environments (MSE) are generally regarded as therapeutic for people with dementia, this study was undertaken to understand the behavioral effects of MSE stimulus during bathing for veterans with dementia. Following the evaluation of MSE use in a bathing room representative of most found in long-term care settings, the study authors concluded that the exhibition of increased positive behaviors and decreased negative behaviors supports a functional relationship between improved bathing responses and multisensory interventions.
Added November 2021
Hospital outdoor spaces: User experience and implications for design
2022
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 15
Pages 256–267
Author(s): Tseung, V., Verweel, L., Harvey, M., Pauley, T., Walker, J.
The impact of outdoor views and spaces on patient and staff outcomes has been studied, but using outdoor areas for therapy programming in post-acute and rehabilitation care requires further research.
Added October 2021
Experiences of sensory overload and communication barriers by autistic adults in health care settings
2022
Autism in Adulthood
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 4
Pages 66-75
Author(s): Strömberg, M., Liman, L., Bang, P., Igelström, K.
Autistic adults have an elevated risk for health problems that can be further exacerbated by stressful and inefficient healthcare experiences. The goal of this study was to identify problematic patterns of sensory and communication experiences for autistic adults. Intense, unpredictable, and uncontrollable environments present barriers to communication and contribute to overstimulation.
Added October 2021
Pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) patient room design: Identifying safety risks in mirrored rooms through a graphical systems analysis
2022
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 15
Pages 189–206
Author(s): Joseph, A., Joshi, R., Mihandoust, S., Goel, S., Hebbar, K., Colman, N.
While same-handed inpatient rooms have been purported to reduce cognitive load for patient care, mirrored rooms provide a potential cost benefit of shared gas and plumbing lines. Few studies have evaluated the implications of a mirrored room on the complex activities of clinical care in an ICU.
Added August 2021
Influences of physical layout and space on patient safety and communication in ambulatory oncology practices: A multisite, mixed method investigation
2021
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 14
Pages 270-286
Author(s): Fauer, A., Wright, N., Lafferty, M., Harrod, M., Manojlovich, M., Friese, C. R.
Data from 2016 to 2020 indicate that the market for ambulatory oncology services is expanding, presenting a need for a deeper understanding of how the physical space of these environments influences clinician work processes and patient safety.
Added July 2021
Efficiency and teamwork in emergency departments: Perception of staff on design interventions
2021
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 14
Pages 310-323
Author(s): Ahmadpour, S., Bayramzadeh, S., Aghaei, P.
The authors build on previous research regarding emergency department (ED) layout and teamwork. When clinicians can move efficiently in a space that allows for collaboration, both staff and patients benefit.
Added July 2021
