The influence of spatial configuration on the frequency of use of hand sanitizing stations in health care environments
2017
American Journal of Infection Control
Journal Article
Author(s): Neo, J. R. J., Zadeh, R.
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) affect over 1.7 million people each year, and subsequently cost the U.S. economy approximately $8.2 billion each year. Hand hygiene compliance (HHC), which involves washing hands thoroughly with alcohol-based rubs or soap and water, is widely regarded as a major prevention measure against the transmission of pathogens that cause HAIs.
Added December 2018
Human factors considerations in designing for infection prevention and control in neonatal care – findings from a pre-design inquiry
2018
Ergonomics
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 61
Pages 169-184
Author(s): Trudel, C., Cobb, S., Momtahan, K., Brintnell, J., Mitchell, A.
As healthcare environments are being more frequently redesigned to improve patient experiences and provider operations, it becomes increasingly important that healthcare providers themselves understand how these new designs are intended to be utilized. Giving healthcare providers a deeper understanding of the functions and purposes underlying important healthcare design decisions could help reduce potential operational errors or staff frustrations.
Added December 2018
Hesitation and error: Does product placement in an emergency department influence hand hygiene performance?
2015
American Journal of Infection Control
Journal Article
Issue 9
Volume 43
Pages 913-916
Author(s): Stackelroth, J., Sinnott, M., Shaban, R. Z.
Previous research has thoroughly established the important role proper hand hygiene plays in reducing and controlling healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Nonetheless, previous studies also show that poor hand hygiene practices remain common in both public and private hospitals. In order to promote effective hand hygiene habits within healthcare environments, designers focus on ensuring that hand hygiene products are easily available and accessible.
Added July 2017
Reduced nosocomial infection rate in a neonatal intensive care unit during a 4-year surveillance period
2017
Journal of the Chinese Medical Association
Journal Article
Issue 7
Volume 80
Pages 427-431
Author(s): Chen, Y.-C., Lin, C.-F., Rehn, Y-J. F., Chen, J-C., Chen, P.-Y., Chen, C.-H., Wang, T.-M., Huang, F.-L.
Infants receiving treatment within neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) are subject to higher rates of nosocomial infection. This may be due to the immature nature of infant immune systems as well as the nature of modern diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
Added June 2017
Different Types of Door-Opening Motions as Contributing Factors to Containment Failures in Hospital Isolation Rooms
2013
PLOS ONE
Journal Article
Issue 6
Volume 8
Pages e66663
Author(s): Tang, J. W., Nicolle, A., Pantelic, J., Klettner, C. A., Su, R., Kalliomaki, P., Saarinen, P., Koskela, H., Reijula, K., Mustakallio, P., Cheong, D. K. W., Sekhar, C., Tham, K. W., Costa, C.
When under negative pressure, hospital isolation rooms are essential for both the containment of patients emitting airborne infectious agents as well as the protection of other patients from these agents. A plethora of different doors are used in the construction of these rooms, but relatively few studies have analyzed how certain door-opening motions and the passage of healthcare workers through these doors can affect the overall performance of isolation rooms.
Added December 2016
Secondary exposure risks to patients in an airborne isolation room: Implications for anteroom design
2016
Building and Environment
Journal Article
Author(s): Mousavi, E. S., Grosskopf, K. R.
Previous research has shown that negatively pressurized Airborne Infectious Isolation Rooms (AIIRs) can protect hospitals from fatal airborne pathogens such as tuberculosis. But this use of negative pressurization can simultaneously increase the chances of isolated patients contracting secondary infections, or healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs), caused by air blowing in from adjacent spaces. Research is needed to better assess the actual likelihood of secondary infections occurring in these scenarios so that steps can be taken to mitigate these risks.
Added December 2016
Impact of Neonatal Intensive Care Bed Configuration on Rates of Late-Onset Bacterial Sepsis and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Colonization
2015
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology
Journal Article
Issue 10
Volume 36
Pages 1173-1182
Author(s): Julian, S., Burnham, C.-A., Sellenriek, P., Shannon, W. D., Hamvas, A., Tarr, P. I., Warner, B. B.
Late-onset infections are a continuing issue, causing notable levels of morbidity and mortality in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), while also increasing the length of patient stay and financial burdens on healthcare institutions. Few previous studies have tested the hypothesis that infants in single-patient rooms have a lower risk of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization, late-onset sepsis, and death.
Added June 2016
Ebola Holding Units at government hospitals in Sierra Leone: evidence for a flexible and effective model for safe isolation, early treatment initiation, hospital safety and health system functioning
2016
BMJ Global Health
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 1
Pages 1-8
Author(s): Johnson, O., Youkee, D., Brown, C. S., Lado, M., Wurie, A., Bash-Taqi, D., Hall, A., Hanciles, E., Kamara, I., Kamara, C., Kamboz, A., Seedat, A., Thomas, S., Kamara, T. B., Leather, A. J. M., Kargbo, B.
The outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in West Africa during 2014-2015 was an unprecedented modern crisis that required novel approaches to outbreak containment and management. In response, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MOHS) and the King’s Sierra Leone Partnership (KSLP) in Freetown, Sierra Leone, worked to develop and implement five new Ebola Holding Units (EHUs) in government hospitals, which successfully isolated 37% of the 3,097 confirmed EVD cases within the country’s Western Urban and Rural district.
Added June 2016
Development and Use of Mobile Containment Units for the Evaluation and Treatment of Potential Ebola Virus Disease Patients in a United States Hospital
2015
Academic Emergency Medicine
Journal Article
Issue 5
Volume 22
Pages 616-622
Author(s): Sugalski, G., Murano, T., Fox, A., Rosania, A., Bogucki, S.
University Hospital was in a unique situation for the potential of receiving suspected Ebola patients from Newark (N.J.) International Airport. This situation led to the establishment of an Ebola treatment area (ETA) separate from the main hospital with easy access to hospital employees and equipment when needed. The ETA was built inside a pre-existing building that was empty on the first floor using Western Shelter Systems. This allowed the relatively quick erection of the unit without building a permanent unit.
Added June 2016
Impact of sink location on hand hygiene compliance after care of patients with Clostridium difficile infection: a cross-sectional study
2016
BMC Infectious Diseases
Journal Article
Author(s): Deyneko, A., Cordeiro, F., Berlin, L., Ben-David, D., Perna, S., Longtin, Y.
Hand hygiene is typically identified as the most important infection control measure. Many healthcare settings have adopted alcohol-based hand rub solutions because they are extremely easy to use, are accessible, and are effective against microbes. One limitation of alcohol-based hand rubs, however, is their ineffectiveness against spore-forming organisms such as Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). Thus, hand washing in sinks rather than rubbing with solutions is highly recommended after caring for patients with CDI.
Added May 2016
Impact of the Physical Environment of Residential Health, Care, and Support Facilities (RHCSF) on Staff and Residents A Systematic Review of the Literature
2015
Environment and Behavior
Journal Article
Issue 10
Volume 48
Pages 1203-1241
Author(s): Joseph, A., Choi, Y.-S., Quan, X.
Strategies related to the design of the built environment should be considered within the context of the culture of the organization and the resident population. This study of the physical environment of residential health, care, and support facilities addresses the range of settings and population, where other studies have been lacking. The literature review strongly suggests that the built environment is an important component of care provided in residential care settings.
Added May 2016
Environmental factors and their association with emergency department hand hygiene compliance: an observational study
2016
BMJ Quality & Safety
Journal Article
Issue 5
Volume 25
Pages 372-378
Author(s): Carter, E. J., Wyer, P., Giglio, J., Jia, H., Nelson, G., Kauari, V. E., Larson, E. L.
Adherence to proper hand hygiene procedures has been repeatedly shown to help prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Emergency departments (EDs) often experience environmental conditions such as crowding and subsequently end up using non-traditional patient care areas such as hallways to administer treatment. It is possible that the use of non-traditional patient care areas contributes to lower levels of hand hygiene compliance.
Added March 2016
Is single room hospital accommodation associated with differences in healthcare-associated infection, falls, pressure ulcers or medication errors? A natural experiment with non-equivalent controls
2016
Journal of Health Services Research & Policy
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 21
Pages 147-155
Author(s): Simon, M., Maben, J., Murrells, T., Griffiths, P.
Previous studies have associated single-patient rooms with reduced infection rates, reduced medication errors, and faster patient recovery rates. In response, an increasing number of hospitals have been shifting towards an entirely single-patient room layout. Although there are plenty of studies from the U.K. providing empirical evidence for the efficacy of single-patient rooms, the United States lacks this foundation of published research, and could therefore benefit from an outcome analysis of single-patient rooms.
Added February 2016
Innovation Pilot Study: Acute Care for Elderly (ACE) Unit--Promoting Patient-Centric Care
2012
Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
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.
Added January 2016
Do Cost Savings from Reductions in Nosocomial Infections Justify Additional Costs of Single-Bed Rooms in Intensive Care Units? A Simulation Case Study
2015
Journal of Critical Care
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 31
Pages 194-200
Author(s): Sadatsafavi, H., Niknejad, B., Zadeh, R., Sadatsafavi, M.
Nosocomial infections are infections that are acquired in healthcare facilities. They are a key factor in decisions to construct and maintain single-patient bedrooms in intensive care units (ICUs), since single-patient rooms have been shown to greatly reduce instances of nosocomial infections. However, no prior studies have investigated whether the resource savings incurred from reducing nosocomial infections are worth the construction and maintenance costs required for single-patient bedrooms in ICUs.
Added October 2015
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 September 2015
The single-patient room in the NICU: maternal and family effects
2012
Journal of Perinatology
Journal Article
Issue 7
Volume 32
Pages 545-551
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.
Added July 2015
Impact of the Design of Neonatal Intensive Care Units on Neonates, Staff, and Families: A Systematic Literature Review
2012
The Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 26
Pages 267-268
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.
Added July 2015
Implications of design on infection prevention and control practice in a novel hospital unit: the Medical Ward of the 21st Century
2015
Anthropology & Medicine
Journal Article
Author(s): VanSteelandt, A., Conly, J., Ghali, W., Mather, C.
The design of a hospital has an important role to play in the prevention and control of infections in hospitals, as does healthcare worker compliance with preventive measures of infection control. Evidence has shown that single-patient rooms are more effective in the control of infection than multi-patient rooms. This study examined the relationship between the design of a hospital unit and the practice of infection control.
Added June 2015
Measurement of ventilation and airborne infection risk in large naturally ventilated hospital wards
2013
Building and Environment
Journal Article
Author(s): Gilkeson, C. A., Camargo-Valero, M. A., Pickin, L. E., Noakes, C. J.
In healthcare environments, the transmission of airborne pathogens is a matter of concern. Ventilation has been identified as one of the key factors in the risk of infection. The authors indicate that most of the evidence on ventilation and infection risk has been in controlled spaces like operating rooms and isolation rooms, and that naturally ventilated spaces like wards have not been studied. They conducted a series of experiments in an unused ward to measure the transmission of pathogens in conditions of natural ventilation, mechanical ventilation, and no ventilation.
Added March 2015
