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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 - 11 of 11

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

Benefits from wood interior in a hospital room: a preference study

Author(s): Nyrud, A. Q., Bringslimark, T., Bysheim, K.
New design strategies, focusing on implementing the psychologically beneficial effects of nature in the built environment, are increasingly being implemented in building design. The design of built settings is of particular importance in environments intended for healing, such as hospitals. Preferences for a setting are thought to be indicators of factors in the environment that can enhance...
Key Point Summary
Added December 2015

Initiatives to reduce overcrowding and access block in Australian emergency departments: A literature review

Author(s): Crawford, K., Morphet, J., Jones, T., Innes, K., Griffiths, D., Williams, Allison
Australian emergency departments are experiencing an increasing demand for their services. Patient throughput continues to expand resulting in overcrowding and access block where patients cannot gain entry to appropriate hospital beds. This is despite both state and federal governments implementing numerous schemes to address the complex causes of stress on emergency departments. This paper...
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

Evaluation of factors and approaches affecting emergency department space planning

Author(s): Pascale, F., Achour, N., Price, A. D. F., Polverino, F.
Increasing demand for care in emergency departments (EDs) is a widespread issue that has provoked the development of different processes to help reduce the struggles faced by healthcare providers. By investigating the different methods healthcare designers have implemented to reduce the costs and complications associated with ED overcrowding and inefficiency, more resilient designs may be realized in the future.
Key Point Summary
Added November 2015

Implications of the emergency department triage environment on triage practice for clients with a mental illness at triage in an Australian context

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.
Key Point Summary
Added October 2015

Exploring Safety and Quality In a Hemodialysis Environment With Participatory Photographic Methods: A Restorative Approach.

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.
Key Point Summary
Added September 2015

The Legacy of Florence Nightingale's Environmental Theory: Nursing Research Focusing on the Impact of Healthcare Environments

Author(s): Zborowsky, T.
Added May 2015

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

Building design and performance: A comparative longitudinal assessment of a children's hospital

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.
Key Point Summary
Added November 2014