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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 227

The Role of the Physical Environment in the Hospital of the 21st Century: A Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity

Author(s): Ulrich, R. S., Zimring, C., Quan, X., Joseph, A., Choudhary, R.
Added December 2022

Randomised controlled trial of labouring in water compared with standard of augmentation for management of dystocia in first stage of labour

Author(s): Cluett, E. R., Pickering, R. M., Getliffe, K., Saunders, N. J.
Added July 2019

Can flooring and underlay materials reduce hip fractures in older people?

Author(s): Minns, J.
Falls resulting in fracture of the hip in older people are a major health problem worldwide. Flooring that is slippery and unsuitable footwear are other major factors contributing to the onset of fractures in the home. Building design should incorporate measures to minimize the risk of falls.
Key Point Summary
Added November 2014

Quality of life and building design in residential and nursing homes for older people

Author(s): Parker, C., Barnes, S., McKee, K., Morgan, K., Torrington, J., Tregenza, P.
Older people living in residential and nursing care homes spend a large proportion of their time within the boundaries of the home, and may depend on the environment to compensate for their physical or cognitive frailties. Regulations and guidelines on the design of care buildings have accumulated over time with little knowledge of their impact on the quality of life of building users. The Design...
Key Point Summary
Added September 2014

Wound ventilation with ultraclean air for prevention of direct airborne contamination during surgery

Author(s): Persson, M., van der Linden, J.
Added September 2014

Why the elderly fall in residential care facilities,and suggested remedies

Author(s): Kallin, K., Jensen, J., Olsson, L. L., Nyberg, L., Gustafson, Y.
Falls and their consequences—such as fractures and other injuries, fear of falling, impaired functions, and dependency—are serious health problems in the older population. Older people living in residential care facilities and those receiving long-term institutional care seem particularly prone to falling and fractures caused by falls. Almost half of all patients with hip fractures in Umea, Sweden, during the 1980s and the 1990s lived in residential care facilities, although fewer than 10 percent of the elderly population lived in such accommodations. Falls among people aged 60 and older have been estimated to account for one-third of the total cost of medical treatment for all injuries in the Swedish population.
Key Point Summary
Added August 2014

Evidence-based design for infants and staff in the neonatal intensive care unit

Author(s): Shepley, M. M.
There has been a marked increase in evidence-based studies relating to neonatal intensive care units in pediatric healthcare literature. While it is acknowledged that clinical, operational, and social dimensions play the most significant role in healing, the physical environment has also been universally identified as a critical factor. Conscientious architects are becoming increasingly aware of the impact of design decisions on the sensory environment of the neonatal intensive care unit.
Key Point Summary
Added July 2014

Objective evaluation of the effect of noise on the performance of a complex laparoscopic task

Author(s): Moorthy, K., Munz, Y., Undre, S., Darzi A.
Noise in operating rooms has been found to be as much as two times higher than the recommended level of 45 dB. Music is played in some operating rooms to reduce patient anxiety, increase the surgeon’s concentration, and mask noise in the operating theater. While some studies have shown the detrimental effect of noise and the beneficial effects of music on patients in the OR, few studies have covered the effects of these factors on the performance of medical staff.
Key Point Summary
Added July 2014

Use of Mechanical Patient Lifts Decreased Musculoskeletal Symptoms and Injuries Among Health Care Workers

Author(s): Li, J., Wolf, L., Evanoff, B.
Healthcare workers experience high rates of work-related musculoskeletal injuries, which are often the result of the frequent patient lifting and transferring required of healthcare workers. Studies suggest that mechanical patient lifts can help reduce musculoskeletal injury rates.
Key Point Summary
Added July 2014

Violence In Healthcare Facilities: Lessons From the Veterans Health Administration

Author(s): Hodgson, M.J. , Reed, R., Craig,T., Murphy, F., Lehmann, L., Belton, L., Warren, N.
The authors examined assault frequency and risk factors in healthcare.
Key Point Summary
Added May 2014

Effects of Acuity-Adaptable Rooms on Flow of Patients and Delivery of Care

Author(s): Hendrich, A. L., Fay, J., Sorrells, A.
Acuity-adaptable rooms could reduce patient transfer times, decrease costs, and increase patient quality of care and satisfaction. Researchers conducted a pre/post study in an acute care setting to evaluate the impact of moving to acuity-adaptable rooms on patient flow, hospital capacity, patient and staff satisfaction, sentinel events, average length of stay, and nursing productivity.
Key Point Summary
Added May 2014

Work Stressors and the Quality of Life in Long-Term Care Units

Author(s): Pekkarinen, L., Sinervo, T., Perala, M. L., Elovainio, M.
Research suggests that work stress adversely affects healthcare staff job performance. And this in turn can influence patients’ quality of care or quality of life.
Key Point Summary
Added May 2014

Incidents relating to the intra-hospital transfer of critically ill patients

Author(s): Beckmann, U., Gillies, D. M., Berenholtz, S. M., Wu, A. W., Pronovost, P.
Transportation of critically ill patients between hospitals can increase complications. Intrahospital transportation poses many of the same risks. Examining these incidents could uncover ways to improve patient safety during transportation.
Key Point Summary
Added April 2014

Interventions for the prevention of falls in older adults: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials

Author(s): Chang, J.T., Morton, S.C, Rubenstein, L. Z., Mojica, W.A., Maglione, M., Suttorp, M.J., Shekelle, P. G.
Falls are a major health concern for older adults worldwide, not only because of the potential for fractures and head injuries, but also for the emotional toll—the fear and anxiety—that can develop as a result of an injury or close call. While the literature on fall interventions is vast, there is limited understanding about the best methods for preventing falls. The authors conducted an extensive review and analysis of relevant, rigorous research trials to assess the relative effectiveness of different types of fall interventions. Under comparison were falls risk assessment and management programs, exercise programs, environmental modification programs, and educational interventions.
Key Point Summary
Added March 2014

Simple Additions to the Pharmacy Waiting Area May Increase Patient Satisfaction

Author(s): Cheng, C.
Simple changes to pharmacy waiting areas, such as hanging posters related to the prescription filling process, are linked to patient satisfaction with a pharmacy.
Key Point Summary
Added March 2014

Wayfinding in an Unfamiliar Environment: Different Spatial Settings of Two Polyclinics

Author(s): Baskaya, A., Wilson, C., Ozcan, Y. Z.
People in healthcare facilities should be able to find their way easily through the structure. If they can’t, they experience stress. Symmetrical layouts, in which spaces with particular functions, for example waiting areas for a certain clinic, are distinguished in some way from other similar spaces, through the use of a landmark such as a particular color on the walls, are an effective design for a healthcare facility because they support accurate navigation through the building.
Key Point Summary
Added March 2014

Are Pediatric Practice Settings Adolescent Friendly? An Exploration of Attitudes and Preferences

Author(s): Tivorsak, T., Britto, M., Klostermann, B., Nebrig, D., Slap, G.
Adolescents would like the treatment settings they experience to be designed to reflect their design preferences. This is a comprehensive, early study clearly delineating the details of those preferred environments.
Key Point Summary
Added March 2014

Parental Views of the Social Environment of an Outpatient Bone Marrow Transplant Clinic

Author(s): Pritchett, J. K., Buckner, E. B.
Researchers learned that when the waiting room was eliminated and all patients and caregivers at a pediatric bone marrow transplant (BMT) clinic waited and received treatment in a single room with all the other patients and caregivers (except for in certain specific situations, as noted below), a social environment developed that was, the authors state, “complementary to the technical aspects of medical care.”
Key Point Summary
Added February 2014

Does the type of flooring affect the risk of hip fracture?

Author(s): Simpson, A. H. R. W. , Lamb, S. , Roberts, P. J. , Gardner, T.N. , Grimley, E.J.
Hip fractures are a serious consequence of falls, especially for aging populations. Number of hip fractures occuring worldwide is estimated to reach 6.3 million worldwide, by the year 2050. Conventionally the issue of fractures has been looked at in terms of intrinsic factors related to the patient. Extrinsic factors that could affect the impact, such as the floor (or surface of the impact) have not been investigated in great details. This UK based study seeks to fill this gap in the research.
Key Point Summary
Added October 2012

Evaluation of the built environment at a Children's Convalescent Hospital: Development of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (TM) parent and staff satisfaction measures for pediatric health care facilities

Author(s): Varni J. W., Burwinkle T. M., Dickinson P., Sherman S. A., Dixon P., Ervice J. A., Leyden P. A., Sadler B. L.
The expectation that the hospital built environment may affect the health and satisfaction of patients and their families continues to interest health care providers and hospital administrators as they differentiate and distinguish the quality and health outcomes of their services. In preparation for the design, construction, and postoccupancy evaluation of a new Children’s Convalescent Hospital, focus groups were conducted and measurement instruments were developed to quantify and characterize parent and staff satisfaction with the built environment of an existing pediatric health care facility, a 30-year-old, 59-bed, long-term, skilled nursing facility dedicated to the care of medically fragile children with complex chronic conditions. The measurement instruments were designed in close collaboration with parents, staff, and senior management involved with the existing and planned facility.
Key Point Summary
Added October 2012