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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 101 - 120 of 169

Promoting walking among older adults living in retirement communities

Author(s): Rosenberg, D. E., Kerr, J., Sallis, J. F., Norman, G. J., Calfas, K., Patrick, K.
The authors tested the feasibility and acceptability, and explored the outcomes, of 2 walking interventions based on ecological models among older adults living in retirement communities. An enhanced intervention (El) was compared with a standard walking intervention (SI) among residents in 4 retirement facilities (N = 87 at baseline; mean age = 84.1 yr). All participants received a walking...
Key Point Summary
Added September 2014

Influence of an Outdoor Garden on Mood and Stress in Older Persons

Author(s): Rodiek, S. D.
Research conducted in healthcare settings shows that the presence of plants and natural environments in healthcare environments has a positive impact on patient outcome. The value of nature and gardening to the older adult is also reported in literature.
Key Point Summary
Added September 2014

Community-Based Versus Institutional Supportive Housing: Perceived Quality of Care, Quality of Life, Emotional Well-Being, and Social Interaction

Author(s): Robison, J., Shugrue, N., Reed, I., Thompson, N., Smith, P., Gruman, C.
Numerous options for residential supportive housing are available for people who need long-term care. Some options are categorized as institutional while others are designated community-based; the movement to rebalance the long-term care system emphasizes the latter category. This study examines the experiences of 150 residents of two types of community-based supportive housing-assisted living (...
Key Point Summary
Added September 2014

Environmental determinants of quality of life in nursing home residents with severe dementia

Author(s): Garre-Olmo, J., López-Pousa, S., Turon-Estrada, A., Juvinyà, D., Ballester, D., Vilalta-Franch, J.
Studies show that more than 50% of the residents in nursing homes suffer from moderate or severe dementia. The authors refer to literature that indicates that in the last 20 years, the culture of imparting care in nursing homes has evolved from a focus on safety, uniformity, and medical concerns to health promotion and Quality of Life (QOL).
Key Point Summary
Added September 2014

Effect of visual art on patient anxiety and agitation in a mental health facility and implications for the business case

Author(s): Nanda, U., Eisen, S., Zadeh, R. S., Owen, D.
Previous research suggests that even small interior design changes can have positive effects on patients receiving treatment in a variety of healthcare environments. Many of these studies examine patient populations that were moved to completely renovated facilities that featured a multitude of new designs and installations, making it difficult to understand how each individual design change affects the patients.
Key Point Summary
Added September 2014

Evaluation of the Built Environment: Staff and Family Satisfaction Pre- and Post-Occupancy of The Children's Hospital

Author(s): Kotzer, A. M., Zacharakis, S. K., Raynolds, M., Buenning, F.
As healthcare organizations begin to address the issues of quality and safety, patient-centered care, and emerging technologies through the replacement of old and outdated facilities, understanding the impact of the built environment on patient and staff health outcomes becomes increasingly necessary to make valued decisions throughout the process.
Key Point Summary
Added September 2014

Perceived Neighborhood Environments and Leisure-Time Walking Among Korean Adults: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior

Author(s): Lee, H.-S., Shepley, M. M.
The prevalence of overweight and obese Korean adults has risen due to physical inactivity that is supported by a sedentary lifestyle. Recent research has sought to understand the interconnection between the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and environmental variables such as sidewalk condition, land-use mix, proximity of parks or recreational facilities, neighborhood aesthetics, and perceived neighborhood safety.
Key Point Summary
Added September 2014

Hospital Room Design and Health Outcomes of the Aging Adult

Author(s): Lorenz, S. G., Dreher, H. M.
Private patient rooms have become the industry standard since the American Institute of Architects (AIA) recommended including private patient rooms in the design of all new acute care hospital construction projects. This recommendation was made due to research suggesting that private patient rooms help reduce infection, increase caregiver efficiency, provide greater privacy, and offer greater opportunity for families to participate in the healing process of their loved ones. Private patient rooms also have been linked to reductions in medication errors, noise levels, and potential for falls. However, evidence has yet to document if private patient rooms are advantageous to all patient populations, nor has it established the actual relationship between room type and health outcomes.
Key Point Summary
Added September 2014

Quantifying the Relationship Among Hospital Design, Satisfaction, and Psychosocial Functioning in a Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Inpatient Unit

Author(s): Sherman-Bien, S. A., Malcarne, V. L., Roesch, S., Varni, J. W., Katz, E. R.
Prior research has shown that healthcare satisfaction and physical and psychological outcomes in adults are affected by the built environment. Research has also suggested that perceived built environment satisfaction acts as a mediator between the objective built environment and healthcare satisfaction and health-related quality of life in adults. However, minimal research has been conducted to understand these concepts within the pediatric population.
Key Point Summary
Added September 2014

Exploring the Impact of the Physical Environment on Patient Outcomes in Ambulatory Care Settings

Author(s): Gulwadi, G., Joseph, A., Keller, A.
Recent trends in healthcare have seen a shift in treating episodic care within acute care environments to ambulatory care centers (ACCs). These facilities distribute care based upon prevention and wellness to combat chronic disease and provide care management. Ambulatory care environments consist of a broad platform of care settings and deliver many types of care to a wide range of populations. Due to these and other complexities, research linking the impact of the physical design of ACCs on patient health outcomes has yet to be documented.
Key Point Summary
Added September 2014

Environmental Issues Related to Medication Errors in Long-Term Care: Lessons From the Literature

Author(s): Mahmood, A., Chaudhury, H., Gaumont, A.
Medication errors contribute significantly to patient illness and mortality and are costly to the healthcare system. This is especially true for elderly patients in long-term care facilities. While the specific definition of medication error often varies from study to study, these errors typically occur when a physician's orders, the manufacturer's guidelines, or professional best practices in drug, dose, route, or timing are not properly followed. They can arise during ordering, dispensing, or administering medication.
Key Point Summary
Added September 2014

Why the elderly fall in residential care facilities,and suggested remedies

Author(s): Kallin, K., Jensen, J., Olsson, L. L., Nyberg, L., Gustafson, Y.
Falls and their consequences—such as fractures and other injuries, fear of falling, impaired functions, and dependency—are serious health problems in the older population. Older people living in residential care facilities and those receiving long-term institutional care seem particularly prone to falling and fractures caused by falls. Almost half of all patients with hip fractures in Umea, Sweden, during the 1980s and the 1990s lived in residential care facilities, although fewer than 10 percent of the elderly population lived in such accommodations. Falls among people aged 60 and older have been estimated to account for one-third of the total cost of medical treatment for all injuries in the Swedish population.
Key Point Summary
Added August 2014

Presence and Visibility of Outdoor and Indoor Physical Activity Features and Participation in Physical Activity Among Older Adults in Retirement Communities

Author(s): Joseph, A., Zimring, C., Harris-Kojetin, L., Kiefer, K.
Regular physical activity contributes to better health among old and very old individuals, allowing them to remain independent for a longer period of time. As with other factors, researchers are increasingly examining the role of the physical setting in encouraging or discouraging physical activity and providing convergent evidence on neighborhood design associated with physical activity by older people.
Key Point Summary
Added July 2014

The effects of refurbishment on residents' quality of life and wellbeing in two Swedish residential care facilities

Author(s): Falk, H., Wijk, H., Persson, L.-O
The prevalence of elderly people with cognitive impairment in Swedish residential care facilities has been estimated to be approximately 50%, usually resulting in integrated populations with both cognitively intact and impaired residents. The physical environment must respond to the changing characteristics of their residents and variations within individuals over time to be able to provide for more than a single stage of fragility.
Key Point Summary
Added May 2014

Reduction in Injury Rates in Nursing Personnel Through Introduction of Mechanical Lifts in the Workplace

Author(s): Evanoff, B., Wolf, L., Aton, E., Canos, J., Collins, J.
Many studies have reported a high rate of back injuries and other musculoskeletal disorders among healthcare workers. Back pain has been identified as a major factor in causing nurses to leave the profession. Patient care requires many lifting and transfer tasks that pose a demonstrated risk of injury to workers. Mechanical assistive devices such as patient hoists offer an engineering solution to reducing potentially harmful physical exposure to nurses.
Key Point Summary
Added May 2014

Perceptions of the Physical Environment, Stage of Change for Physical Activity, and Walking Among Australian Adults

Author(s): Carnegie, M. A., Bauman, A., Marshall, A. L., Mohsin, M., Westley-Wise, V., Booth, M. L.
The health benefits of regular physical activity are well-established. An understanding of the factors that influence physical activity behaviors is greatly needed to influence sedentary population groups to become more physically active. Psychological, physiological, demographic, and environmental factors are known to influence physical activity. The increasing interest in physical environmental factors such as pleasant walking paths away from traffic, bike paths, weather conditions, and neighborhood safety has arisen due to broader, integrated models developed to more comprehensively explain physical activity behavior.
Key Point Summary
Added May 2014

Promoting physical activity in rural communities: Walking trail access, use, and effects

Author(s): Brownson, R. C., Housemann, R. A., Brown, D. R., Jackson-Thompson, J, King, A. C., Malone, B. R., Sallis, J. F.
The health benefits of physical activity are well established. Physical activity contributes to a lower risk of coronary heart disease, as well as a variety of other chronic diseases including hypertension, non-insulin-dependent diabetes (Type 2), osteoarthritis, and osteoporosis. To promote physical activity, more environmental and policy strategies are needed. Examples of environmental and policy approaches to increase physical activity include walking and bicycle trails, liability legislation, zoning and land use, mall walking programs, building construction that encourages physical activity, policies and incentives promoting physical activity during the workday, and policies requiring comprehensive school physical health education programs.
Key Point Summary
Added April 2014

Impact of Music Therapy Interventions (Listening, Composition, Orff-Based) on the Physiological and Psychosocial Behaviors of Hospitalized Children: A Feasibility Study

Author(s): Colwell, C. M., Edwards, R., Hernandez, E., Brees, K.
The hospital experience can impact the physical and mental health of a child. Prior research has shown that music therapy can have a positive effect on mood, anxiety, respiratory distress, and behavioral distress. And although listening to music is the most common form of music therapy, songwriting and physically making music have also been used as a positive coping strategy for children within a hospital environment.
Key Point Summary
Added April 2014

Suicide in recently admitted psychiatric inpatients: a case-control study

Author(s): Hunt, M., Bickley, H., Windfuhr, K., Shaw, J., Appleby, L., Kapur, N.
Research studies have shown that the risk of hospitalized patients dying by suicide is still extremely high—around 40 to 50 times higher than in the general population. A number of studies have reported that the first week of admission is a time of particularly acute risk.
Key Point Summary
Added April 2014

Noise Levels in an Urban Hospital and Workers' Subjective Responses

Author(s): Bayo, M. V., Garcia, A. M., Armando, G.
Noise has become a major environmental problem as well as a public health concern, resulting in a wide range of negative consequences. Despite healthcare facilities’ attempts to foster favorable environments to assist in patient recovery and staff working conditions, noise levels are often higher than desirable in and around hospitals. There is a need to identify the main noisy areas and noise sources and evaluate the hospital staff’s reactions to noise.
Key Point Summary
Added April 2014