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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 - 19 of 19

Effective Use of the Built Environment to Manage Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia: A Systematic Review

Author(s): Soril, L. J. J., Leggett, L. E., Lorenzetti, D. L., Silvius, J., Robertson, D., Mansell, L., Holroyd-Leduc, J., Noseworthy, T. W., Clement, F. M., Laks, J.
There is a lack of valid and reliable research in the area of impact of built environment interventions in managing behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia.
Key Point Summary
Added June 2016

The hardware and software implications of hospital birth room design: A midwifery perspective

Author(s): Hammond, A., Foureur, M., Homer, C. S. E.
Every aspect of design within a given workplace – from the overall architecture to the furnishings, aesthetics, and available equipment – can affect the performance and overall experience of staff members. While many previous studies have explored the influence of workplace design in various different health care environments, little research has examined the impact of hospital birth room designs on the experience and performance of midwives.
Key Point Summary
Added June 2016

Delusions and Underlying Needs in Older Adults with Alzheimer’s Disease

Author(s): Wang, J., Cheng, W., Lai, P., & Pai, M.
The purpose of this study was to understand the influences of earlier life experiences and the current environment on delusions, as well as the underlying needs of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) experiencing delusions.
Key Point Summary
Added January 2016

Home Modification and Prevention of Frailty Progression in Older Adults: A Japanese Prospective Cohort Study

Author(s): Mitoku, K., Shimanouchi, S.
In a study involving 574 Japanese adults 65 years or older who required a low or moderate level of care, 34% modified their homes over the course of the study. Modification of these older adults’ homes prevented the progression of frailty (requiring higher level of care).
Key Point Summary
Added January 2016

The Impact of an Acute Psychiatry Environment on Older Patients and Their Families

Author(s): Hung, L., Loewen, E., Bindley, B., McLaren, D., Feist, T., & Phinney, A.
There is a lack of research that examines impact of the designed environment on the experience of older adults and their families in healthcare settings.
Key Point Summary
Added January 2016

Preparing an ICU room to welcome a critically ill patient with Ebola virus disease

Author(s): Pasquier, P., Ficko, C., Mérens, A., Dubost, C.
Ebola virus disease is a viral hemorrhagic fever that spreads through direct contact with the body fluids of an infected animal or human. Contamination may also occur through contact with items that were recently contacted by infected bodily fluids. No spread of the disease through the air has been documented. As no specific treatment or vaccine for the virus is currently available, specially coordinated medical services are necessary to control outbreaks.
Key Point Summary
Added December 2015

Digital room-layout planning for complex manual handling hospital discharges

Author(s): Abraham, B. B., Birleson, A., Marsden, S.
Added December 2015

Intensive care unit design and mortality in trauma patients

Author(s): Pettit, N. R., Wood, T., Lieber, M., O'Mara, M. S.
A primary concern for many patient care units is the question of where to place more seriously ill patients within the space that is available. Questions regarding the impact of architectural features, such as the availability of natural lighting, or adjacency to nurse stations on patient health outcomes should be further explored so that increasingly effective healthcare environments can be established. Currently, no data exist demonstrating whether trauma patients receiving treatment in intensive care unit (ICU) beds with poor visibility from a central nursing station experience health outcomes different from those in rooms that may be more visible from the nursing station.
Key Point Summary
Added December 2015

Using Lean-Based Systems Engineering to Increase Capacity in the Emergency Department

Author(s): White, B., Chang, Y., Grabowski, B., Brown, D.
Emergency department (ED) crowding is a widespread issue that causes a multitude of negative effects on patient care quality, safety, and efficiency. Lean-based systems engineering, which is often used for industrial manufacturing, is a method for eliminating all forms of waste (including wasted time and other resources) to optimize productivity. Recent studies have begun to demonstrate the use of systems engineering and improvement science on streamlining processes and improving throughput in different medical capacities, but an opportunity remains to refine the application of these tools within EDs in particular.
Key Point Summary
Added December 2015

Physical Design Correlates of Efficiency and Safety in Emergency Departments: A Qualitative Examination

Author(s): Pati, D., Harvey, T. E., Pati, S.
The objective of this study was to explore and identify physical design correlates of safety and efficiency in emergency department (ED) operations. This study adopted an exploratory, multimeasure approach to (1) examine the interactions between ED operations and physical design at 4 sites and (2) identify domains of physical design decision-making that potentially influence efficiency and safety. Multidisciplinary gaming and semistructured interviews were conducted with stakeholders at each site.
Key Point Summary
Added November 2015

Network of Spaces and Interaction-Related Behaviors in Adult Intensive Care Units

Author(s): Rashid, M., Boyle, D. K., Crosser, M.
Using three spatial network measures of “space syntax”, this correlational study describes four interaction-related behaviors among three groups of users in relation to visibility and accessibility of spaces in four adult intensive care units (ICUs) of different size, geometry, and specialty. Systematic field observations of interaction-related behaviors show significant differences in spatial distribution of interaction-related behaviors in the ICUs.
Key Point Summary
Added November 2015

Impact of NICU design on environmental noise

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.
Key Point Summary
Added July 2015

The Geriatric ED: Structure, Patient Care, and Considerations for the Emergency Department Geriatric Unit

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.
Key Point Summary
Added June 2015

Identification of EMR Hardware and Space Design Requirements using Human Factors Analyses

Author(s): Campbell, C., Kramer, C., Kelsey, S., King, W. J.
A successful Electronic Medical Records (EMR) implementation depends on factors that impact user experience, such as access, information management, documentation, patient privacy concerns, and potential interference. The authors allude to the significance of the selection of hardware and its placement as key to an efficient EMR workflow. Through this study user requirements were identified for the type of hardware required and how to place it in the existing clinic layout.
Key Point Summary
Added April 2015

Energy Efficient Hospital Patient Room Design: Effect of Room Shape on Window-to-Wall Ratio in a Desert Climate

Author(s): Sherif, A., Sabry, H., Arafa, R., Wagby, A.
Windows are significant to the healing process in hospitals because of their ability to provide access to daylight and external views. However, in desert climates windows also contribute to increased hospital energy consumption because of the increased cooling load.
Key Point Summary
Added March 2015

Flexibility in hospital building and application by means of standardized medical room types

Author(s): Kamp, P. G., Kooistra, R. L., Ankersmid, H. A. H. G., Bonnema, G. M.
Added November 2014

The effects of physical environments in medical wards on medication communication processes affecting patient safety

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.
Key Point Summary
Added November 2014

Hospital bathroom ergonomics: Safety, usability and accessibility issues

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.
Key Point Summary
Added November 2014

Young children's perspectives of ideal physical design features for hospital-built environments

Author(s): Lambert, V., Coad, J., Hicks, P., Glacken, M.
Current research has sought to understand pediatric hospital environments through studies designed to gain insight into the hospital experience from a child’s perspective. While this research has provided insight into a child’s emotional response to being in a hospital environment, little has been done to gain insight into the physical design from a child’s perspective.
Key Point Summary
Added November 2014