Pilot cluster randomised controlled trial of flooring to reduce injuries from falls in wards for older people.
2013
Age and Ageing
Journal Article
Issue 5
Volume 42
Pages 633-640
Author(s): Drahota, A. K., Ward, D., Udell, J. E., Soilemezi, D., Ogollah, R., Higgins, B., Dean, T. P., Severs, M.
Inpatient falls are a major issue for hospitals and are associated with mortality, morbidity and financial costs. Falls are particularly prevalent in elderly care environments, where patients have more risk factors for both falls and injury. With an aging society, this is an issue of increasing concern.
Added November 2014
Cluster randomised trial of a targeted multifactorial intervention to prevent falls among older people in hospital.
2008
British Medical Journal
Journal Article
Issue 7647
Volume 336
Pages 758-760
Author(s): Cumming, R. G., Sherrington, C., Lord, S. R., Simpson, J. M., Vogler, C., Cameron, I. D., Naganathan, V.
Falls often occur among older people in hospitals, resulting in injuries, increased lengths of stay, and greater costs to the health center. Evidence on the best way to prevent falls in hospitals is limited.
Added November 2014
Sustained reduction in serious fall-related injuries in older people in hospital.
2006
The Medical journal of Australia
Journal Article
Issue 8
Volume 184
Pages 379-382
Author(s): Fonda, D., Cook, J., Sandler, V., Bailey, M.
Falls are the leading cause of injury in Australian hospitals, with 38 percent of all hospital incidents related to falls. In hospital settings, single interventions have not been proven successful in preventing or reducing falls, whereas multisystem or multi-strategy approaches have shown to be more effective.
Added November 2014
Applying root cause analysis to improve patient safety: decreasing falls in postpartum women.
2010
Quality & Safety in Health Care
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 19
Pages 138-143
Author(s): Chen, K. H., Chen, L. R., Su, S.
The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of interventions to prevent falls designed through hazard analysis using root cause analysis.
Added November 2014
Comprehensibility of universal healthcare symbols for wayfinding in healthcare facilities
2014
Applied Ergonomics
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 45
Pages 878-885
Author(s): Lee, S., Dazkir, S. S., Paik, H. S., Coskun, A.
In today’s globalized medical industry, patients might travel to foreign countries to receive higher quality or more affordable forms of healthcare. This modern trend has emphasized the need to develop graphic symbols used in hospitals that allow people from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds to more easily navigate their way around foreign hospitals.
Added November 2014
Method for Automated Monitoring of Hand Hygiene Adherence without Radio-Frequency Identification
2010
Infection control and hospital epidemiology : the official journal of the Society of Hospital Epidemiologists of America
Journal Article
Issue 12
Volume 31
Pages 1294-1297
Author(s): Polgreen, P. M., Hlady, C. S., Severson, M. A., Segre, A. M., Herman, T.
Added November 2014
Do hospital visitors wash their hands? Assessing the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer in a hospital lobby
2012
American Journal of Infection Control
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 40
Pages 340-343
Author(s): Birnbach, D. J., Nevo, I., Barnes, S., Fitzpatrick, M., Rosen, L. F., Everett-Thomas, R., Sanko, J. S., Arheart, K. L.
Compliance with hand hygiene by healthcare workers is considered to be relevant to the prevention of healthcare-associated infections in hospitals and other healthcare facilities. There are no studies that indicate the significance of hand-hygient compliance (HHC) by hospital visitors, although both the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that hospital visitors can potentially carry infections from the community into hospitals.
Added November 2014
Taking ergonomics to the bedside – A multi-disciplinary approach to designing safer healthcare
2014
Applied Ergonomics
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 45
Pages 629-638
Author(s): Norris, B., West, J., Anderson, O., Davey, G., Brodie, A.
Added November 2014
Factors influencing evaluation of patient areas, work spaces, and staff areas by healthcare professionals
2013
Indoor and Built Environment
Journal Article
Author(s): Sadatsafavi, H., Walewski, J., Shepley, M. M.
One important element of high-quality healthcare delivery is a motivated and satisfied staff. Healthcare executives should regularly examine the factors that influence clinicians’ perceptions of satisfaction and quality so that necessary changes can be addressed.
Added November 2014
Patient Room Considerations in the Intensive Care Unit: Caregiver, Patient, Family
2014
Critical Care Nursing Quarterly
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 37
Pages 83-92
Author(s): Evans, J., Reyers, E.
Added November 2014
Linking acoustics and floor-plate shape qualities of healthcare settings
2012
Architectural Science Review
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 56
Pages 315-332
Author(s): Okcu, S., Shpuza, E., Ryherd, E., Zimring, C.
Added November 2014
The effects of physical environments in medical wards on medication communication processes affecting patient safety
2014
Health & Place
Journal Article
Author(s): Liu, W., Manias, E., Gerdtz, M.
The physical environment of a hospital has a wide range of effects on the quality of care administered to patients. In the context of medication distribution, seamless communication among healthcare professionals of different backgrounds is imperative, and in many cases the physical environment itself can have positive or negative effects on this complex process.
Added November 2014
Assessing the optimal location for alcohol-based hand rub dispensers in a patient room in an intensive care unit
2013
BMC Infectious Diseases
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 13
Pages 510
Author(s): Boog, M. C., Erasmus, V., de Graaf, J. M., van Beeck, E. A. H. E., Melles, M, van Beeck, E. F.
The authors allude to literature which says that compliance of hand hygiene (which is crucial to reducing the spread of infectious disease) is low among healthcare workers (HCWs). Literature also shows that alcohol-based hand rubs (ABHRs) improve hand-hygiene compliance by HCWs, which in turn is impacted by location, access to, and visibility of the ABHR dispenser.
Added November 2014
Managing Elders’ Wandering Behavior Using Sensors-based Solutions: A Survey
2014
International Journal of Gerontology
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 8
Pages 49-55
Author(s): Lin, Q., Zhang, D., Chen, L., Ni, H., Zhou, X.
Added November 2014
Emergency medical equipment storage: Benefits of visual cues tested in field and simulated settings
2014
Human Factors
Journal Article
Issue 5
Volume 56
Pages 958-972
Author(s): Grundgeiger, T., Harris, B., Ford, N., Abbey, M., Sanderson, P. M., Venkatesh, B.
Ready availability and easy accessibility of equipment and supplies are important in intensive care units (ICUs) to be prepared for emergent situations. Bedside drawers are where all emergency items are stored for imminent use.
Added November 2014
Does a mobile laminar airflow screen reduce bacterial contamination in the operating room? A numerical study using computational fluid dynamics technique
2014
Patient Safety in Surgery
Journal Article
Author(s): Sadrizadeh, S., Tammelin, A., Nielsen, P. V., Holmberg, S.
Surgical-site infections (SSIs) can increase patient morbidity and mortality and extend hospitalization time. Operating room (OR) personnel are the main source of airborne bacteria; a person releases roughly 104 skin scales per minute while walking, 10% of which carry bacteria, although up to 12 times as many microorganisms may be discharged depending on the individual and situation. Bacteria in the OR might contaminate a surgical wound through contact with the air or through contaminated surgical instruments.
Added November 2014
Hospital bathroom ergonomics: Safety, usability and accessibility issues
2014
Clinical Nursing Studies
Journal Article
Author(s): Capodaglio, E. M.
The design of a hospital bathroom is important in terms of its usability and accessibility and crucial for patient and staff safety. A bathroom’s design and layout becomes more important in a rehabilitation unit, where patient mobility is restricted for various reasons.
Added November 2014
Analysis of the soundscape in an intensive care unit based on the annotation of an audio recording
2014
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 135
Pages 1875-1886
Author(s): Park, M., Kohlrausch, A., de Bruijn, W., de Jager, P., Simons, K.
Patients receiving treatment in intensive care units (ICUs) are often subjected to elevated noise levels that can complicate recovery by disturbing sleep patterns and causing stress, anxiety, and changes in cardiovascular response. Although previous research has thoroughly analyzed the various sources of noise in ICUs, the authors of this study believe that inadequate recording and sound analysis techniques, as well as the presence of human observers collecting data, have restricted the depth of previous findings.
Added November 2014
Building design and performance: A comparative longitudinal assessment of a children's hospital
2014
Building and Environment
Journal Article
Author(s): Thiel, C. L., Needy, K. L., Ries, R., Hupp, D., Bilec, M. M.
The aesthetics and design of a medical treatment facility can influence energy consumption, staff performance, and patient recovery. Evidence-Based Design (EBD) has been cited in many studies as an effective way to improve healthcare outcomes and hospitals’ performance, but further investigation is needed. This is particularly true at a whole-building level, to reveal the relationship between building design and health, and to observe the performance of newer building designs, especially with regard to green healthcare buildings.
Added November 2014
Reduction of healthcare-associated infections in a long-term care brain injury ward by replacing regular linens with biocidal copper oxide impregnated linens
2014
International Journal of Infectious Diseases
Journal Article
Author(s): Lazary, A., Weinberg, I., Vatine, J.-J., Jefidoff, A., Bardenstein, R., Borkow, G., Ohana, N.
Due to its antibacterial, antiviral, and fungicidal properties, copper has been widely used for centuries as a biocide. Microorganisms resistant to copper are extremely rare. Recently, methods have been developed for embedding copper oxide particles into textile products, thereby giving them antimicrobial and anti-mite properties, and in some cases, advanced wound-healing abilities. Consumer products featuring copper oxide such as sheets, diapers, and pillowcases have been proven completely safe to humans through numerous studies, with no adverse health reactions on record.
Added November 2014