Optimal Color Design of Psychological Counseling Room by Design of Experiments and Response Surface Methodology
2014
PLoS ONE
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 9
Pages e90646
Author(s): Liu, W., Ji, J., Chen, H., Ye, C., Androulakis, I. P.
Added September 2017
Viral contamination of aerosol and surfaces through toilet use in health care and other settings
2014
American Journal of Infection Control
Journal Article
Issue 7
Volume 42
Pages 758-762
Author(s): Verani, M., Bigazzi, R., Carducci, A.
Aerosol and surface contamination are significant to the transmission of viral infections in hospitals. The contamination of surfaces like door handles, toys, banisters, fabrics, flushing handles on toilets, etc., can occur through direct contact with an infected material or indirectly through unwashed hands or settling down of large aerosol droplets.
Added September 2017
Environmental viral contamination in a pediatric hospital outpatient waiting area: Implications for infection control
2014
American Journal of Infection Control
Journal Article
Issue 8
Volume 42
Pages 856-860
Author(s): D'Arcy, N., Cloutman-Green, E., Klein, N., Spratt, D. A.
Many viruses found in the healthcare environment are known to survive for long periods of time on inanimate objects or in the air. Pediatric healthcare environments are particularly susceptible to viral infections. Alluding to other studies where work surfaces, doors, and other touch surfaces were shown to be contaminated by virus, this study aims to find out if common touch sites in a pediatric healthcare environment can be contaminated with potentially infectious viruses.
Added September 2017
Architectural Design Drives the Biogeography of Indoor Bacterial Communities
2014
PLoS ONE
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 9
Pages e87093
Author(s): Kembel, S. W., Meadow, J. F., O’Connor, T. K., Mhuireach, G., Northcutt, D., Kline, J., Moriyama, M., Brown, G. Z., Bohannan, B. J. M., Green, J. L., White, B. A.
Human beings spend a substantial portion of their time in buildings that are complex ecosystems for microorganisms. Humans come in contact with the built environment microbiome (the microbial communities within buildings) which have the potential to affect their health. The authors suggest that the built environment microbiome can be modified through design to ultimately influence human health.
Added September 2017
Exploring Safety and Quality In a Hemodialysis Environment With Participatory Photographic Methods: A Restorative Approach.
2014
Nephrology Nursing Journal
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 41
Pages 25-36
Author(s): Marck, P., Molzahn, A., Berry-Hauf, R., Hutchings, L. G., Hughes, S.
The authors indicate that hemodialysis units can be fraught with numerous safety issues related to medication errors, lapses in communication, patient falls, equipment issues, infection control, etc. These issues can be critical in high-acuity units. This study used qualitative methods to identify existing and potential safety issues in a hemodialysis unit in a tertiary care hospital in Canada.
Added October 2017
Exploring Perceptions of Designers and Medical Staff in South Korea about Design Elements for the Elder-Friendly Hospital
2014
Journal of Interior Design
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 39
Pages 15-32
Author(s): Kim, D., Lee, J. H., Ha, M.
The elderly population is growing around the world and so is the geriatric patient population. The authors indicate that despite the fact that the elderly will soon be the primary users of healthcare services, healthcare facilities are not designed for the elderly. In this study, designers and medical staff were asked to rate the importance of 33 design elements in the context of an elder-friendly hospital.
Added September 2017
Impact of NICU design on environmental noise
2014
Journal of Neonatal Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 20
Pages 77-81
Author(s): Szymczak, S. E., Shellhaas, R. A.
Literature shows that preterm infants can be adversely affected by sounds in a hospital. Yet completely quiet environments may potentially limit a much-needed exposure to language. This presents a challenge to designing an optimal sound environment in NICUs. This study examined the acoustic variance in open bay and single room NICUs and found that there was little variability in the acoustic environment of the two NICU models. It also found that the single room NICU had longer periods of silence than the open bay NICU.
Added October 2017
Innovative designs for the smart ICU: Part 2: The ICU
2014
Chest
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 145
Pages 646-658
Author(s): Halpern, N. A.
Added September 2018
Innovative designs for the smart ICU: Part 1: From initial thoughts to occupancy
2014
Chest
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 145
Pages 399-403
Author(s): Halpern, N. A.
Added September 2017
The Geriatric ED: Structure, Patient Care, and Considerations for the Emergency Department Geriatric Unit
2014
International Journal of Gerontology
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 8
Pages 56-59
Author(s): Burton, J. H., Young, J., Bernier, C. A.
Older patients who visit the emergency department in developed countries are more likely to require a more specialized nature of treatment in comparison to younger patients. The authors believe that current-day emergency departments are not equipped to adequately treat these patients in terms of design and staff training for assessments and evaluations unique to this age group. The authors recommend a geriatric-specific approach to designing patient treatment spaces, medical evaluations, neurocognitive assessments, and post-ED visit support.
Added September 2017
