A Novel ICU Hand-Over Tool: The Glass Door of the Patient Room
2017
Journal of Intensive Care Medicine
Journal Article
Issue 8
Volume 32
Pages 514-519
Author(s): Wessman, B. T., Sona, C., Schallom, M.
The Institute of Medicine has identified poor communication among the patient care team as one of the most common causes of serious errors in patient care. There was a desire in this organization to create a culture of team-oriented continuity of care by changing the mindset of handoff reporting to handover reporting communication among multidisciplinary care team members on key aspects of the patient’s daily plan of care. They developed a communication tool that included key areas of care (tests, care goals and progress toward those goals, treatments, and consultation recommendations) and printed the topic areas on the glass door of the patient room. The information was updated regularly throughout the day/night so that the most current information on patient status was available any time for rounding by various care providers, specialists, and consultants. The information was also available for viewing by the patient’s family.
Added November 2017
Separate Medication Preparation Rooms Reduce Interruptions and Medication Errors in the Hospital Setting: A Prospective Observational Study
2016
Journal of Patient Safety
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 17
Pages e161-e168
Author(s): Huckels-Baumgart, S., Baumgart, A., Buschmann, U., Schüpfer, G., Manser, T.
Errors and interruptions are commonplace during medication preparation procedures in healthcare environments. One study found that one interruption occurred for every 3.2 drugs administered during nurses’ medication rounds.
Added December 2016
The Business Case for Building Better Neonatal Intensive Care Units
Journal of Perinatology
2014
Journal Article
Issue 11
Volume 34
Pages 811-815
Author(s): Shepley, M., Smith, J.A., Sadler, B.L. & White, R.D.
There is increasing evidence that the physical environment of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) has a tangible effect on the vulnerable infants who spend the first crucial weeks or months of their life there.
Added January 2016
Destination Bedside
2012
The Journal of Nursing Administration
Journal Article
Issue 5
Volume 42
Pages 256-265
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.
Added January 2016
Realizing improved patient care through human-centered operating room design: A human factors methodology for observing flow disruptions in the cardiothoracic operating room
2013
Anesthesiology
Journal Article
Issue 5
Volume 119
Pages 1066-1077
Author(s): Palmer, G., Abernathy, J. H., Swinton, G., Allison, D., Greenstein, J., Shappell, S., Juang, K., Reeves, S. T.
The authors indicate that disruptions in the workflow of surgeries can extend surgery times and contribute to the escalation of healthcare costs.
Added March 2015
Conveniently located “napping rooms” provide opportunity for night- and extended-shift providers to rest, leading to less fatigue and better performance.
2008, last updated October 23, 2013
US Department of Health and Human Services; AHRQ (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) website
Journal Article
Author(s):
Healthcare providers are known for working unacceptably long hours and being chronically sleep deprived. Often, physicians and nurses work 24+ hour shifts, leading to fatigue and avoidable errors that put both caregivers and patients at risk of serious injury or death. Acute and chronic sleep deprivation can mimic the effects of drunkenness.
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
An Evaluation of Operating Room Safety and Efficiency: Pilot Utilization of a Structured Focus Group Format and Three-Dimensional Video Mock-Up To Inform Design Decision Making
2011
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 5
Pages 6-22
Author(s): Watkins, N., Kobelja, M., Peavey, E., Thomas, S., Lyon, J.
While surgical and interventional procedures are the most profitable services within the hospital, the cost of building and maintaining an OR can quickly reduce the profitability of running an OR. Due to this precarious balance of revenue and cost, the planning and design of an OR should look to reduce injury to staff and prevent unnecessary costs, while increasing operational efficiencies.
Added September 2014
Effects of Acuity-Adaptable Rooms on Flow of Patients and Delivery of Care
2004
American Journal of Critical Care
Journal Article
Author(s): Hendrich, A. L., Fay, J., Sorrells, A.
Acuity-adaptable rooms could reduce patient transfer times, decrease costs, and increase patient quality of care and satisfaction. Researchers conducted a pre/post study in an acute care setting to evaluate the impact of moving to acuity-adaptable rooms on patient flow, hospital capacity, patient and staff satisfaction, sentinel events, average length of stay, and nursing productivity.
Added May 2014
The Effect of Environmental Design on Reducing Nursing Errors and Increasing Efficiency in Acute Care Settings: A Review and Analysis of the Literature
2009
Environment and Behavior
Journal Article
Issue 6
Volume 41
Pages 755-786
Author(s): Chaudhury, H., Mahmood, A., Valente, M.
In acute care settings, the physical environment plays an important role in staff efficiency and patient safety. Some research suggests that poor environments can result in staff stress, anxiety, and distractions due to noise; artificial lighting; improper or inadequate ventilation; and disorienting layouts of nursing units. There is less research on how environmental factors affect nursing staff health, effectiveness, errors, and job satisfaction.
Added April 2014
Incidents relating to the intra-hospital transfer of critically ill patients
2004
Intensive Care Medicine
Journal Article
Issue 8
Volume 30
Pages 1579-1585
Author(s): Beckmann, U., Gillies, D. M., Berenholtz, S. M., Wu, A. W., Pronovost, P.
Transportation of critically ill patients between hospitals can increase complications. Intrahospital transportation poses many of the same risks. Examining these incidents could uncover ways to improve patient safety during transportation.
Added April 2014
Using a Task Analysis to Describe Nursing Work in Acute Care Patient Environments
2009
Journal of Nursing Administration
Journal Article
Issue 12
Volume 39
Pages 537-547
Author(s): Battisto, D., Pak, R., Vander Wood, M. A., Pilcher, J. J.
A growing body of research demonstrates linkages between workplace design and processes in healthcare facilities with staff and patient safety, operational efficiency, staff satisfaction, and medical errors. There has been less emphasis on the role of the built environment in helping or hindering care delivery. Research is needed on the contextualized activities performed by nurses and how nurses spend their time to measure the effects of interventions aimed at redesigning care to improve safety or efficiency or to understand the implications of policy changes for nursing practice.
Added April 2014
Review of the Literature: Acuity-Adaptable Patient Room
2013
Critical Care Nursing Quarterly
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 36
Pages 251–271
Author(s): Bonuel, N. , Cesario, S.
Acuity-adaptable rooms allow patients to stay in one room from the time they are admitted to when they leave, regardless of their acuity level. These specially equipped private rooms are staffed by nurses who have the skills and training to support the complete range of care for patients with similar conditions or disease processes. The rooms are larger in size than a regular hospital room to accommodate various patients’ needs as their condition changes, such as critical care equipment, additional staff, procedures, and family members.
Added March 2014
Nurses’ Perceptions of How physical Environment Affects Medication Errors in Acute Care Settings
2011
Applied Nursing Research
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 24
Pages 229–237
Author(s): Mahmood, A., Chaudhury, H., Valente, M.
Medication errors in hospitals occur for a number of reasons, stemming from staff and organizational issues to aspects of the physical environment. Errors include omissions, giving the wrong type or amount of medication, and giving the wrong patient unneeded medication. Research has indicated that a significant amount of these errors are avoidable.
Added February 2014
Impact of Medication Storage Cabinets on Efficient Delivery of Medication and Employee Frustration
2010
Journal of Nursing Care Quality
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 25
Pages 352-357
Author(s): Hull, T., Czirr, L. , Wilson, M.
Safe medication administration is essential to ensuring positive patient outcomes and is a priority in healthcare institutions. Recent innovations in technology and automation are designed to eliminate errors as well as move activities closer to the patient’s bedside to improve nursing workflow. It has been postulated that moving medications and supplies closer to the point of care reduces nurses’ traveling time and makes it easier to administer medication.
Added January 2014
