Effectiveness of an extended period of flashing lights and strategic signage to increase the salience of alcohol-gel dispensers for improving hand hygiene compliance
2016
American Journal of Infection Control
Journal Article
Issue 7
Volume 44
Pages 782-785
Author(s): Rashidi, B., Li, A., Patel, R., Harmsen, I. E., Sabri, E., Kyeremanteng, K., D'Egidio, G.
Hospitals are often full of information and attention-seeking signs, colors, and noises, making it difficult for something as inconspicuous as alcohol-gel hand dispensers to stand out apart from everything else. Therefore if a hospital wishes to increase rates of hand hygiene compliance, the design and location of hand sanitizer dispensers is of high importance. In a previous study, the authors of this paper showed that affixing a flashing red light to alcohol-gel dispensers for one week doubled hand hygiene rates from 12.4% to 25.3%.
Added May 2016
Effect of hand sanitizer location on hand hygiene compliance
2015
American Journal of Infection Control
Journal Article
Issue 9
Volume 43
Pages 917-921
Author(s): Cure, L., Van Enk, R.
Hand hygiene is the most important intervention to prevent infection in hospitals. Health care workers should clean their hands at least before and after contact with patients. Hand sanitizer dispensers are important to support hand hygiene because they can be made available throughout hospital units. The aim of this study was to determine whether the usability of sanitizer dispensers correlates...
Added May 2016
The Creation of a Biocontainment Unit at a Tertiary Care Hospital: The Johns Hopkins Medicine Experience
2016
Annals of the American Thoracic Society
Journal Article
Issue 5
Volume 13
Pages 600-608
Author(s): Garibaldi, B. T., Kelen, G. D., Brower, R. G., Bova, G., Ernst, N., Reimers, M., Langlotz, R., Gimburg, A., Iati, M., Smith, C., MacConnell, S., James, H., Lewin, J. J., Trexler, P., Black, M. A., Lynch, C., Clarke, W., Marzinke, M. A., Sokoll, L. J., Carroll, K. C., Parish, N. M., Dionne, K., Biddison, E. L. D., Gwon, H. S., Sauer, L., Hill, P., Newton, S. M., Garrett, M. R., Miller, R. G., Perl, T. M., Maragakis, L. L.
Prior to the 2014 Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in West Africa, the United States had only one to three specialized biocontainment units. Once the EVD crisis began, a group of reputable American healthcare institutions worked together to renovate a deactivated clinical space into a functioning biocontainment unit (BCU).
Added April 2016
Visitor characteristics and alcohol-based hand sanitizer dispenser locations at the hospital entrance: Effect on visitor use rates
2016
American Journal of Infection Control
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 44
Pages 258-262
Author(s): Hobbs, M. A., Robinson, S., Neyens, D. M., Steed, C.
Proper hand hygiene is one of the most effective measures in the effort to prevent transmission of nosocomial pathogens in clinical settings. Previous studies have shown how healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) could be traced back to the spread of germs from hospital employees, patients, and visitors. While there is a large body of research on improving hand hygiene compliance among healthcare workers, there is a lack of similar studies aimed towards compliance among hospital visitors.
Added March 2016
Environmental factors and their association with emergency department hand hygiene compliance: an observational study
2016
BMJ Quality & Safety
Journal Article
Issue 5
Volume 25
Pages 372-378
Author(s): Carter, E. J., Wyer, P., Giglio, J., Jia, H., Nelson, G., Kauari, V. E., Larson, E. L.
Adherence to proper hand hygiene procedures has been repeatedly shown to help prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Emergency departments (EDs) often experience environmental conditions such as crowding and subsequently end up using non-traditional patient care areas such as hallways to administer treatment. It is possible that the use of non-traditional patient care areas contributes to lower levels of hand hygiene compliance.
Added March 2016
Is single room hospital accommodation associated with differences in healthcare-associated infection, falls, pressure ulcers or medication errors? A natural experiment with non-equivalent controls
2016
Journal of Health Services Research & Policy
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 21
Pages 147-155
Author(s): Simon, M., Maben, J., Murrells, T., Griffiths, P.
Previous studies have associated single-patient rooms with reduced infection rates, reduced medication errors, and faster patient recovery rates. In response, an increasing number of hospitals have been shifting towards an entirely single-patient room layout. Although there are plenty of studies from the U.K. providing empirical evidence for the efficacy of single-patient rooms, the United States lacks this foundation of published research, and could therefore benefit from an outcome analysis of single-patient rooms.
Added February 2016
Preparing an ICU room to welcome a critically ill patient with Ebola virus disease
2014
Intensive Care Medicine
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 41
Pages 118-119
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.
Added December 2015
Environmental infection control considerations for Ebola
2015
American Journal of Infection Control
Journal Article
Issue 7
Volume 43
Pages 747-749
Author(s): Lowe, J. J., Olinger, P. L., Gibbs, S. G., Rengarajan, K., Beam, E. L., Boulter, K. C., Schwedhelm, M. M., Hayes, A. K., Kratochvil, C. J., Vanairsdale, S., Frislie, B., Lewis, J., Hewlett, A. L., Smith, P. W., Gartland, B., Ribner, B. S.
The impact of the 2014 outbreak of the Ebola virus disease (EVD) in West Africa was felt in the United States when patients were transferred for treatment. Following the first Ebola death in the U.S. and given the high risk factors associated with the disease, infection control and prevention measures were stepped up in hospitals around the country.
Added December 2015
Copper surfaces are associated with significantly lower concentrations of bacteria on selected surfaces within a pediatric intensive care unit
2016
American Journal of Infection Control
Journal Article
Author(s): Schmidt, M. G., von Dessauer, B., Benavente, C., Benadof, D., Cifuentes, P., Elgueta, A., Duran, C., Navarrete, M. S.
Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) plague hospitals around the world. The authors note that patients in ICUs, particularly those in pediatric and neonatal ICUs, are more susceptible to contract an infection from the clinical environment because of factors like the patient’s illness and the use of invasive medical devices, etc.
Added November 2015
One size fits all? Mixed methods evaluation of the impact of 100% single-room accommodation on staff and patient experience, safety and costs
2015
BMJ Quality & Safety
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 25
Pages 241-256
Author(s): Maben, J., Griffiths, P., Penfold, C., Simon, M, Anderson, J. E., Robert, G., Pizzo, E., Hughes, J., Murrells, T., Barlow, J.
Authors indicate that despite the trend to adopt single-patient rooms, there is a dearth of strong evidence regarding its effect on healthcare quality and safety. When a hospital in England moved to a new building with 100% single rooms, a before-and-after move study was conducted on patient and staff experience, safety outcomes, and cost analysis. The study found that over two-thirds of the patients and one-fifth of the staff preferred single rooms.
Added September 2015
Viral contamination of aerosol and surfaces through toilet use in health care and other settings
2014
American Journal of Infection Control
Journal Article
Issue 7
Volume 42
Pages 758-762
Author(s): Verani, M., Bigazzi, R., Carducci, A.
Aerosol and surface contamination are significant to the transmission of viral infections in hospitals. The contamination of surfaces like door handles, toys, banisters, fabrics, flushing handles on toilets, etc., can occur through direct contact with an infected material or indirectly through unwashed hands or settling down of large aerosol droplets.
Added September 2015
Environmental viral contamination in a pediatric hospital outpatient waiting area: Implications for infection control
2014
American Journal of Infection Control
Journal Article
Issue 8
Volume 42
Pages 856-860
Author(s): D'Arcy, N., Cloutman-Green, E., Klein, N., Spratt, D. A.
Many viruses found in the healthcare environment are known to survive for long periods of time on inanimate objects or in the air. Pediatric healthcare environments are particularly susceptible to viral infections. Alluding to other studies where work surfaces, doors, and other touch surfaces were shown to be contaminated by virus, this study aims to find out if common touch sites in a pediatric healthcare environment can be contaminated with potentially infectious viruses.
Added September 2015
Post-Occupancy Evaluation of Negative-Pressure Isolation Rooms: Using the Balanced Scorecard Framework
2009
Journal of Architectural and Planning Research
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 26
Pages 1-13
Author(s): Wang, C.-H., Kuo, N.-W.
To combat the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) following an epidemic outbreak in Taiwan in early 2003, all hospitals were mandated by health authorities to convert their patient rooms into negative pressure isolation rooms. The authors believe that it is necessary to evaluate these rooms to ensure that they are functioning effectively.
Added September 2015
Exploring Safety and Quality In a Hemodialysis Environment With Participatory Photographic Methods: A Restorative Approach.
2014
Nephrology Nursing Journal
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 41
Pages 25-36
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.
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 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
Implications of design on infection prevention and control practice in a novel hospital unit: the Medical Ward of the 21st Century
2015
Anthropology & Medicine
Journal Article
Author(s): VanSteelandt, A., Conly, J., Ghali, W., Mather, C.
The design of a hospital has an important role to play in the prevention and control of infections in hospitals, as does healthcare worker compliance with preventive measures of infection control. Evidence has shown that single-patient rooms are more effective in the control of infection than multi-patient rooms. This study examined the relationship between the design of a hospital unit and the practice of infection control.
Added June 2015
Finishes and Furnishings: Considerations for Critical Care Environments
2011
Critical Care Nursing Quarterly
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 34
Pages 317-331
Author(s): Chambers, M., Bowman, K. L.
Finishes and furnishings play an important role in the healing environment and do affect patient health outcomes, staff satisfaction, operational efficiency, and costs. It is important to create properly designed critical care units. Involving healthcare providers in the design process is necessary to highlight the user’s perspective, preferences, choices, and comfort versus safety.
Added May 2015
Evidence-based design in an intensive care unit: End-user perceptions
2015
BMC Anesthesiology
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 15
Pages 57
Author(s): Ferri, M., Zygun, D. A., Harrison, A., Stelfox, H. T.
Authors consider evidence-based design (EBD) to be particularly relevant in the case of intensive care units (ICUs) given the high acuity of the patients and the multidisciplinary model of care. This qualitative study describes the experiences of end-users of an ICU designed using EBD principles in Calgary, Canada.
Added May 2015
The role of the surface environment in healthcare-associated infections:
2013
Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 26
Pages 338-344
Author(s): Weber, D. J., Anderson, D., Rutala, W. A.
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are associated with morbidity and mortality in hospitals in the USA. Sources and transmission of contamination can be several. Contamination of hospital surfaces is a common occurrence.
Added April 2015
