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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 20

Alert Workplace From Healthcare Workers’ Perspective: Behavioral and Environmental Strategies to Improve Vigilance and Alertness in Healthcare Settings

Author(s): Zadeh, R. S., Shepley, M., Sadatsafavi, H., Owora, A. H., Krieger, A. C.
Added February 2018

Separate Medication Preparation Rooms Reduce Interruptions and Medication Errors in the Hospital Setting: A Prospective Observational Study

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.
Key Point Summary
Added December 2016

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

Destination Bedside

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.
Key Point Summary
Added January 2016

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

Designing for distractions: a human factors approach to decreasing interruptions at a centralised medication station

Author(s): Colligan, L., Guerlain, S., Steck, S. E., Hoke, T. R.
According to the authors, literature indicates that interruptions during the administration of medication in healthcare settings can lead to errors, and that such errors are likely to cause more harm in pediatric settings. The medication station in the study hospital is centrally located with an open design targeted to reduce nurse walking and increase time with patients.
Key Point Summary
Added December 2014

The Effect of Hospital Unit Layout on Nurse Walking Behavior

Author(s): Yi, L., Seo, H.-B.
Over the course of a typical shift, nurses spend a lot of time on their feet, walking back and forth on the unit to take care of patients' needs. The long distances that nurses walk is a topic of concern in the industry. Some believe it may potentially impact the amount of time spent with patients and also because of the physical toll on nurses, day after day. Researchers are attempting to understand whether unit layout and design might be revised to reduce walking distances and create efficiencies that enhance patient care.
Key Point Summary
Added September 2014

Influence of Role Models and Hospital Design on the Hand Hygiene of Health-Care Workers

Author(s): Lankford, M. G., Zembower, T. R., Trick, W. E., Hacek, D. M., Noskin, G. A., Peterson, L. R.
One of the key components for limiting spread of healthcare–associated infectious disease is the practice of adequate infection control. A cornerstone of infection control is ensuring that healthcare workers wash their hands at appropriate times. Some reports suggest that role models, group behavior, and the level of managerial support influence reported levels of compliance. However, few studies have prospectively evaluated the association between hand-hygiene compliance and building design.
Key Point Summary
Added July 2014

Considering the impact of medicine label design characteristics on patient safety

Author(s): Hellier, E. , Edworthy, J. , Derbyshire, N. , Costello, A.
The premise of this study is that there is sufficient evidence-based research in areas such as food labeling, chemical labeling, and general warnings that provides systematic evidence on the effects of medication label design characteristics such as font size, color, use of specific language and signal words/warnings on performance behavioral variables such as safety, compliance, understandability, and discriminability.
Key Point Summary
Added April 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

Direct cellular vs. indirect pager communication during orthopaedic surgical procedures: A prospective study

Author(s): Ortega, G. R., Taksali, S., Smart, R., Baumgaertner, M. R.
Staff-to-staff communication is critical to quality and efficient healthcare. Physicians, nurses, and other healthcare workers all use various methods of communication in their daily work. Difficulties in staff communication often lead to interruptions and delays in patient care, variation in response time, medical errors, violation of privacy, and dissatisfaction in patient and staff.
Key Point Summary
Added October 2012

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

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

The Safety Organizing Scale: Development and Validation of a Behavioral Measure of Safety Culture in Hospital Nursing Units

Author(s): Vogus, T.J., Sutcliffe, K.M.
Added October 2012

Designing with health in mind. Innovative design elements can make hospitals safer, more healing places

Author(s): Sadler, B.L.
Added October 2012

Effects of Computerized Physician Order Entry and Clinical Decision Support Systems on Medication Safety

Author(s): Kaushal, R., Shojania, K., Bates, D.W.
Added October 2012

Nurse-physician communication: an organizational accountability

Author(s): Arford, P.H.
Added October 2012

Assessing a hospital sound environment: findings and evidence-based recommendations for architectural design and behavior.

Author(s): Geboy, L., Keller, A., Schnuck, K.
Added October 2012

Using Probabilistic Risk Assessment to Model Medication System Failures in Long-Term Care Facilities

Author(s): Comden, S.C., Marx, D., Murphy-Carley, M. , Hale, M.
Added October 2012

A seasonal pattern of hospital medication errors in Alaska

Author(s): Booker, J. M., Roseman, C.
Specific behavioral consequences of seasonal affective disorder have not been closely examined. Length of daylight is evaluated in relation to medication errors in a medical center located in the far north. Factors such as numbers of patient admissions, discharges, and deaths were controlled with data collected in Anchorage, Alaska, over 5 consecutive years, 1985-89. These data revealed that 58%...
Key Point Summary
Added August 2012