Psychiatric ward design can reduce aggressive behavior
2018
Journal of Environmental Psychology
Journal Article
Author(s): Ulrich, R. S., Bogren, L., Gardiner, S. K., Lundin, S.
Added July 2018
Improving inpatient environments to support patient sleep
2016
International Journal for Quality in Health Care
Journal Article
Issue 5
Volume 28
Pages 540–553
Author(s): DuBose, J. R., Hadi, K.
The importance of sleep in the healing process, as well as the dangers of sleep deprivation, have been thoroughly studied within previously published literature.
Added December 2016
Low stimulus environments: reducing noise levels in continuing care
2016
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 5
Pages 1-4
Author(s): Brown, J., Fawzi, W., Shah, A., Joyce, M., Holt, G., McCarthy, C., Stevenson, C., Marange, R., Shakes, J., Solomon-Ayeh, K.
This article highlights a project that aimed to reduce levels of intrinsic background noise on an adult mental health ward. Following intervention, the ward was able to decrease the background noise decibel level from 60dB to 53dB (on average).
Added November 2016
Surface Finish Materials: Considerations for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
2016
Newborn and Infant Nursing Reviews
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 16
Pages 203-207
Author(s): Harris, D.
In this literature review, it is shown that a growing body of research has been focusing on how surface material finishes within neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) can contribute to the operational, clinical, and social aspects of health outcomes.
Added September 2016
Environmental Variables That Influence Patient Satisfaction: A Review of the Literature
2016
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 10
Pages 155-169
Author(s): MacAllister, L., Zimring, C., Ryherd, E.
This paper is a literature review that compiles a number of studies investigating the layouts and designs of hospitals and work settings, and the influences that these environments have on health and behavioral outcomes in patients. More specifically, this review seeks to identify possible links between physical and social environmental influences to self-reported patient outcomes. The authors wish to more fully understand the elements that influence patient satisfaction, and then begin a discussion over how physical and social environments can be further analyzed to enhance satisfaction.
Added September 2016
The ability of environmental healthcare design strategies to impact event related anxiety in pediatric patients: A comprehensive systematic review
Author(s): Norton-Westwood, D.
Healthcare settings such as hospitals or dentists’ offices have been known to contribute to the anxiety often experienced by patients receiving treatment. Anxiety has been linked to various health concerns, manifesting both physiologically and psychologically, that can result in prolonged hospital stays and other complications.
Added June 2016
Developing the Birth Unit Design Spatial Evaluation Tool (BUDSET) in Australia: A Qualitative Study
2010
Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 3
Pages 43-57
Author(s): Foureur, M., Leap, N., Davis, D., Forbes, I., & Homer, C.
To develop a tool to assess the “optimality” of birth unit design. This is important because “Optimal birth spaces are likely to enable women to have physiologically normal labor and birth.”
Added January 2016
Sleep in Hospitalized Elders: A Pilot Study
2012
Geriatric Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 31
Pages 263-172
Author(s): Missildine, K., Bergstrom, N., Meininger, J., Richards, K. & Foreman, M. D.
Sleep complaints are common among elders at home and in the hospital. These complaints include insomnia, difficulty falling sleep, and difficulty maintaining sleep, yet adequate sleep is commonly considered a necessary prerequisite to healing and recovery from illness.
Added January 2016
Eye Masks and Earplugs Improve Patient’s Perception of Sleep
2012
Nursing in Critical Care
Journal Article
Issue 5
Volume 17
Pages 247-235
Author(s): Jones, C. & Dawson, D.
Sleep disruption is commonly identified as a feature of admission to critical care units. The environment, level of intervention, and patient morbidity are understood to influence patients’ poor experiences of sleep in critical care. This study discusses the impact of the built environment on Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients’ sleep.
Added January 2016
The Impact of an Acute Psychiatry Environment on Older Patients and Their Families
2014
Journal of Gerontological Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 20
Pages 1-7
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.
Added January 2016
Non-Pharmacological Interventions in Long-term Care: Feasibility and Recent Trends
2014
Journal of Gerontological Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 5
Volume 40
Pages 10-14
Author(s): Fitzsimmons, S., Barba, B., Stump, M. & Bonner, E.
This article discusses the use of non-pharmacological interventions as part of an effort to minimize the negative effects of antipsychotic drug use on patients with cognitive impairment or perceived behavioral issues. Aspects of the built environment were included.
Added January 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
Implications of the emergency department triage environment on triage practice for clients with a mental illness at triage in an Australian context
2014
Australasian Emergency Nursing Journal
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 17
Pages 23-29
Author(s): Broadbent, M., Moxham, L., Dwyer, T.
Emergency departments (EDs) in Australia have been seeing an increase in recent years in the number of patients presenting with mental illness. This study aims to determine if the triage environment of the ED influences the triage practice of ED nurses. Using an ethnographic approach, the research found that ED nurses felt that triaging mentally ill patients in an area that is very public, noisy, and lacks privacy can impact their ability to effectively conduct assessments and manage patients.
Added October 2015
The role of noise in clinical environments with particular reference to mental health care: A narrative review
2015
International Journal of Nursing Studies
Journal Article
Issue 9
Volume 52
Pages 1514-1524
Author(s): Brown, B., Rutherford, P., Crawford, P.
The problem of noise in healthcare environments has been discussed in a variety of contexts, including psychology, sociology, built environment studies, and nursing. It has been well documented that the element of noise within clinical settings can elevate stress, impede recovery, and disturb sleep. But despite the extensive literature discussing the effects of noise in clinical settings, scarcely any research has been done on the role noise plays in mental healthcare environments.
Added October 2015
Noise Levels in Patient Rooms and at Nursing Stations at Three VA Medical Centers
2015
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 9
Pages 54-63
Author(s): Hill, J. N., LaVela, S. L.
Added September 2015
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 August 2015
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 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
A companionship between strangers – the hospital environment as a challenge in patient–patient interaction in oncology wards
2014
Journal of Advanced Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 70
Pages 395-404
Author(s): Larsen, L. S., Larsen, B. H., Birkelund, R.
The authors allude to existing literature indicating the healing and therapeutic effect of hospital environments and the increasing evidence between healthcare environments and patient outcomes. In this study the authors explore through observations and interviews of patients how the hospital environment impacts the interaction between hospitalized cancer patients.
Added May 2015
Part 1: Evidence-Based Facility Design Using Transforming Care at the Bedside Principles
2015
Journal of Nursing Administration
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 45
Pages 74-83
Author(s): Devine, D. A., Wenger, B., Krugman, M., Zwink, J. E., Shiskowsky, K., Hagman, J., Limon, S., Sanders, C., Reeves, C.
A western academic hospital reexamined its design strategy when after three years of building a new facility they had to plan for a new facility to meet their patient capacity. Using a combination of the principles of Transforming Care at the Bedside (TCAB) and Evidence-Based Design (EBD), an interdisciplinary team presented design recommendations.
Added April 2015