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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 24

Sleep in Hospitalized Elders: A Pilot Study

Author(s): Missildine, K., Bergstrom, N., Meininger, J., Richards, K. & Foreman, M. D.
Sleep complaints are common among elders at home and in the hospital. These complaints include insomnia, difficulty falling sleep, and difficulty maintaining sleep, yet adequate sleep is commonly considered a necessary prerequisite to healing and recovery from illness.
Key Point Summary
Added January 2016

Eye Masks and Earplugs Improve Patient’s Perception of Sleep

Author(s): Jones, C. & Dawson, D.
Sleep disruption is commonly identified as a feature of admission to critical care units. The environment, level of intervention, and patient morbidity are understood to influence patients’ poor experiences of sleep in critical care. This study discusses the impact of the built environment on Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients’ sleep.
Key Point Summary
Added January 2016

Innovation Pilot Study: Acute Care for Elderly (ACE) Unit--Promoting Patient-Centric Care

Author(s): Krall et al.
Older patients have different needs: cognitive impairment, chronic health issues, caregiver burden, and maintenance of functional level. These issues present challenges to healthcare organizations when caring for this population on a general medical-surgical unit.
Key Point Summary
Added January 2016

Destination Bedside

Author(s): Watkins, N., Kennedy, M., Lee, N., O’Neill, M., Peavey, E., DuCharme, M., & Padula, C.
Patient-centered care (PCC) has been at the core of healthcare reform. Improvements and advancements in Healthcare Information Technology (HIT), Electronic Health Records and inpatient unit layout have been some means that aim to achieve PCC. Also key to PCC is the alleviation of medical errors, which HIT and related technology can help achieve.
Key Point Summary
Added January 2016

The single-patient room in the NICU: maternal and family effects

Author(s): Pineda, R. G., Stransky, K. E., Rogers, C., Duncan, M. H., Smith, G. C., Neil, J., Inder, T.
The authors allude to the references in literature about the stress associated with being the parent of an infant in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Indicating that the physical environment of a NICU may afford the possibility of alleviating such stress, the authors present the findings of this study which aimed to explore the relationship between the type of NICU room (single-patient versus open bay), parental practices and maternal health.
Key Point Summary
Added July 2015

Impact of the Design of Neonatal Intensive Care Units on Neonates, Staff, and Families: A Systematic Literature Review

Author(s): Shahheidari, M., Homer, C.
The authors indicate that the design of NICUs incorporating single family rooms as evidence indicates this room type contributes to the better development of babies, facilitates increased parental involvement in care, controls infection, and reduces noise and length of stay.
Key Point Summary
Added July 2015

Healing environment: A review of the impact of physical environmental factors on users

Author(s): Huisman, E. R. C. M., Morales, E., van Hoof, J., Kort, H. S. M.
According to the authors, research that examines the physical environment and its impact on the healing and well-being of human beings has been growing in the last several years. There is increasing availability of literature on evidence-based design.
Key Point Summary
Added March 2015

Impacts of indoor daylight environments on patient average length of stay (ALOS) in a healthcare facility

Author(s): Choi, J.-H., Beltran, L. O., Kim, H.-S.
One of the components that increases the quality of the indoor environment in hospitals is window views with access to daylight. The orientation of a window can be significant to the amount of daylight a room can get. This study examined the indoor environments of patient rooms located on different sides of a hospital building to investigate the impact of daylight on the length of stay.
Key Point Summary
Added March 2015

Designing for distractions: a human factors approach to decreasing interruptions at a centralised medication station

Author(s): Colligan, L., Guerlain, S., Steck, S. E., Hoke, T. R.
According to the authors, literature indicates that interruptions during the administration of medication in healthcare settings can lead to errors, and that such errors are likely to cause more harm in pediatric settings. The medication station in the study hospital is centrally located with an open design targeted to reduce nurse walking and increase time with patients.
Key Point Summary
Added December 2014

Pediatric inpatient falls and injuries: a descriptive analysis of risk factors.

Author(s): Schaffer, P. L., Daraiseh, N. M., Daum, L., Mendez, E., Lin, L., Huth, M. M.
Falls are the leading cause of nonfatal injuries treated in emergency departments in the United States. Children’s falls have the potential for injury and other negative patient outcomes (e.g., increased length of hospital stay and increased costs). To prevent these fall occurrences and injury outcomes, a comprehensive assessment of the factors surrounding falls in hospitalized children is essential to developing best-practice interventions.
Key Point Summary
Added November 2014

The antimicrobial efficacy of copper alloy furnishing in the clinical environment: a crossover study

Author(s): Karpanen, T. J., Casey, A. L., Lambert, P. A., Cookson, B. D., Nightingale, P., Miruszenko, L., Elliott, T. S.
Environmental hygiene has been regarded as one of the key areas in the prevention of HCAIs (healthcare associated infections) in hospital and acute care settings. Copper and its alloys have recently been considered for use in the healthcare environment as an antimicrobial surface material, and in 2008, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved the registration of copper and its alloys as antimicrobial materials. The main aim of this study was to determine whether copper incorporated into hospital ward furnishings and equipment can reduce their surface microbial load.
Key Point Summary
Added September 2014

Promoting walking among older adults living in retirement communities

Author(s): Rosenberg, D. E., Kerr, J., Sallis, J. F., Norman, G. J., Calfas, K., Patrick, K.
The authors tested the feasibility and acceptability, and explored the outcomes, of 2 walking interventions based on ecological models among older adults living in retirement communities. An enhanced intervention (El) was compared with a standard walking intervention (SI) among residents in 4 retirement facilities (N = 87 at baseline; mean age = 84.1 yr). All participants received a walking...
Key Point Summary
Added September 2014

Functional Outcomes of Nursing Home Residents in Relation to Features of the Environment: Validity of the Professional Environmental Assessment Protocol

Author(s): Slaughter, S. E., Morgan, D. G.
Research conducted in different settings shows that specialized environments designed for people with dementia may reduce the rate of functional loss. Different measures have been developed to assess the nursing home environments focused on the features of specialized dementia units. Among them, the Professional Environmental Assessment Protocol (PEAP) was developed to assess the quality of dementia care environments on nine dimensions. Assessment involves subjective evaluation of the physical and social environment on a 5-point scale for each dimension.
Key Point Summary
Added September 2014

Contributions of Environment, Comorbidity, and Stage of Dementia to the Onset of Walking and Eating Disability in Long-Term Care Residents

Author(s): Slaughter, S. E., Hayduk, L. A.
Objectives To estimate the relative effects of environment, comorbidities, stage of dementia and other variables on disability onset. Design A 1-year prospective cohort study was conducted in which the walking and eating abilities of long-term care residents were observed fortnightly. Structural equation modeling was used to assess the contributions of individual and environmental factors to the...
Key Point Summary
Added September 2014

Suicide Attempts and Completions in the Emergency Department in Veterans Affairs Hospitals

Author(s): Mills, P. D., Watts, B. V., DeRosier, J. M., Tomolo, A. M., Bagian, J. P.
Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States, and approximately 1,500 suicides occur in inpatient hospital units in the United States each year, This study examines the specific environmental factors involved in suicide attempts and completions in an ED in a large, nationally represented hospital sample (VA).
Key Point Summary
Added May 2014

The healthcare environment through the eyes of a child - Does it soothe or provoke anxiety?

Author(s): Norton-Westwood, D.
Research has shown that the hospital environment can be distressing to a child. However, introducing design features that spark a child’s imagination can help to reduce anxiety.
Key Point Summary
Added May 2014

Conditions Associated with Wandering in People With Dementia From the Viewpoint of Self-Awareness: Five Case Reports

Author(s): Yokoi, T. , Aoyama, K. , Ishida, K. , Okamura, H.
One of the conditions of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), namely, wandering, which can trigger a need for institutionalization and can cause traffic accidents was investigated.
Key Point Summary
Added May 2014

Traffic Flow in the Operating Room: An Explorative and Descriptive Study on Air Quality During Orthopedic Trauma Implant Surgery

Author(s): Andersson, A.E., Bergh, I., Karlsson, J., Eriksson, B.I. MD, Nilsson,K.
Three main strategies exist to prevent surgical site infections following surgery: 1) the patient, 2) the surgical technique, 3) the surgical environment. This study focuses on optimizing the effect of the surgical environment in preventing SSIs (surgical site infections). The authors attempt to understand that the protective potential of operating room (OR) ventilation under different conditions is crucial to optimizing the surgical environment.
Key Point Summary
Added April 2014

Quality Physical Environment in Paediatric Wards: Designer’s Creation Versus Users’ Satisfaction

Author(s): Ghazali, R., Abbas, M. Y.
Prior research has revealed that an optimal healing environment can enhance a child’s quality of life by supporting the healing process. However, little has been done to identify specific design features within an optimal healing environment that either impede or aid the healing process.
Key Point Summary
Added April 2014

Medical Gas Cylinder and Bulk Tank Storage

Author(s): McLaughlin, S., Dagenais, D.
There are particular requirements for storing medical gas cylinders as well as requirements for bulk tank storage in healthcare settings; these regulatory requirements exist specifically for cylinders that are not in use. In use refers to cylinders being used by a patient, or attached to equipment and ready for immediate use, or located in patient rooms about to be used. Requirements vary depending on the total amount of cubic feet of gas needing to be stored, with the most stringent regulations for more than 3,000 cubic feet of gas, less stringent requirements for 300-3,000 cubic feet of gas, and the least stringent requirements for less than 300 cubic feet of gas. These requirements are in place to reduce the risk of accident and injury.
Key Point Summary
Added March 2014