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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 - 20 of 25

The Role of the Physical Environment in the Hospital of the 21st Century: A Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity (Abstracts Table Supplement)

Author(s): Ulrich, R. S., Zimring, C., Quan, X., Joseph, A., Choudhary, R.
Added December 2022

The Role of the Physical Environment in the Hospital of the 21st Century: A Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity

Author(s): Ulrich, R. S., Zimring, C., Quan, X., Joseph, A., Choudhary, R.
Added December 2022

Impact of the Physical Environment of Residential Health, Care, and Support Facilities (RHCSF) on Staff and Residents A Systematic Review of the Literature

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.
Key Point Summary
Added May 2016

The Business Case for Building Better Neonatal Intensive Care Units

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.
Key Point Summary
Added January 2016

Luminous environment in healthcare buildings for user satisfaction and comfort: an objective and subjective field study

Author(s): Lo Verso, V. R.M., Caffaro, F., Aghemo, C.
Lighting is important in healthcare, and the authors indicate its relevance to patient recovery and staff satisfaction. According to the authors, luminous environmental quality affects visual comfort, which is related to both natural and artificial lighting.
Key Point Summary
Added June 2015

Realizing improved patient care through human-centered operating room design: A human factors methodology for observing flow disruptions in the cardiothoracic operating room

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.
Key Point Summary
Added March 2015

Patient Safety in the Cardiac Operating Room: Human Factors and Teamwork A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association

Author(s): Wahr, J. A., Prager, R. L., Abernathy, J. H., Martinez, E. A., Salas, E., Seifert, P. C., Groom, R. C., Spiess, B. D., Searles, B. E., Sundt, T. M., Sanchez, J. A., Shappell, S. A., Culig, M. H., Lazzara, E. H., Fitzgerald, D. C., Thourani, V. H., Eghtesady, P., Ikonomidis, J. S., England, M. R., Sellke, F. W., Nussmeier, N. A.
The cardiac surgical operating room is a complex environment, where patient lives are saved or considerably improved with the help of sophisticated equipment and skilled personnel. Although outcomes are improving, adverse events still occur, many of which are preventable. This statement is the result of a review of literature that presented evidence on patient safety and interventions that worked in enhancing patient safety in the cardiac OR.
Key Point Summary
Added March 2015

Conveniently located “napping rooms” provide opportunity for night- and extended-shift providers to rest, leading to less fatigue and better performance.

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.
Key Point Summary
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

Effect of noise on auditory processing in the operating room

Author(s): Way, T. J., Long, A., Weihing, J., Ritchie, R., Jones, R., Bush, M., Shinn, J. B.
Noise in operating rooms (ORs), defined as any unwanted sound impeding on normal hearing, can be grouped into two categories: equipment-related noise and staff-created noise. Equipment-related noise can come from anesthesia equipment and alarms, suction devices, or surgical instruments such as cautery devices, dissection tools, and drills. Staff-created noise can come from opening and closing doors, conversations, overhead pages, and music. All of these noise sources contribute to the average ambient noise in ORs, which is 65 dBA with peak levels reaching120 dBA.
Key Point Summary
Added September 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

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.
Key Point Summary
Added September 2014

The Effect of Environmental Design on Reducing Nursing Errors and Increasing Efficiency in Acute Care Settings: A Review and Analysis of the Literature

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.
Key Point Summary
Added April 2014

Same-Handed and Mirrored Unit Configurations: Is There a Difference in Patient and Nurse Outcomes?

Author(s): Watkins, N., Kennedy, M., Ducharme, M., Padula, C.
Awareness of the impact of healthcare facility design on a number of diverse patient and staff outcomes is growing. From patient recovery time, satisfaction, and comfort to nursing staff efficiency, error rates, and distraction, varied outcomes are being linked to environmental conditions and design attributes in hospital settings. Inpatient unit configurations, specifically same-handed configurations vs. mirrored units, are a particular area of interest for researchers, with implications for practitioners and patient care. Same-handed configurations, which standardize all rooms within a unit such that they are all identical, may allow for reduced noise as headwalls are no longer shared.
Key Point Summary
Added February 2014

Healthcare Environmental Terms and Outcome Measures: An Evidence-based Design Glossary

Author(s): Quan, X., Malone, E., Joseph, A., Pati, D.
Added October 2012

Designing for Patient Safety: Developing Methods to Integrate Patient Safety Concerns in the Design Process

Author(s): Joseph, A., Taylor, E. M. , Quan, X., Jelen, M.
Added October 2012

Role of the Physical and Social Environment in Promoting Health, Safety, and Effectiveness in the Healthcare Workplace

Author(s): Joseph, A.
Added October 2012

Committed to safety: Ten case studies on reducing harm to patients

Author(s): McCarthy, D., Blumenthal, D.
Added October 2012

Building the evidence base for evidence-based design: Editors' introduction

Author(s): Zimring, C., Bosch, S.
Added October 2012

The Role of the Physical Environment in Promoting Health, Safety, and Effectiveness in the Healthcare Workplace

Author(s): Joseph, A.
Added October 2012

The healing environment in our communities and healthcare settings: research excellence into practice

Author(s): Craft, N.
Added October 2012