× You are not currently logged in. To receive all the benefits our site has to offer, we encourage you to log in now.

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.

RESEARCH IN A SNAP HOW-TO VIDEOS  ADDITIONAL RESOURCES VIEW TOUR

Supported by:

Additional content by:

Sort by

Displaying 1 - 20 of 53

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

The impact of the built environment on patient falls in hospital rooms: An integrative review

Author(s): Pati, D., Valipoor, S., Lorusso, L., Mihandoust, S., Jamshidi, S., Rane, A., Kazem-Zadeh, M.
Added June 2019

The Architecture Of Safety: An Emerging Priority For Improving Patient Safety

Author(s): Joseph, A., Henriksen, K., Malone, E.
Added November 2018

Understanding Design Vulnerabilities in the Physical Environment Relating to Patient Fall Patterns in a Psychiatric Hospital: Seven Years of Sentinel Events

Author(s): Bayramzadeh, S., Portillo, M., Carmel-Gilfilen, C.
Finding effective ways to prevent patient falls and fall-related injuries has been an ongoing struggle and debate for many modern medical practitioners. Previous studies have shown that nearly 30% of falls that occur in hospital settings result in injuries and, subsequently, additional treatments.
Key Point Summary
Added June 2018

Physical design factors contributing to patient falls

Author(s): Pati, D., Valipoor, S., Cloutier, A., Yang, J., Freier, P., Harvey, T. E., Lee, J.
Previous studies show that patient falls in hospitals are not only a leading cause of disability, injury, and mortality, but that they also affect the family members of patients, the caregivers, and the overall healthcare system.
Key Point Summary
Added February 2017

Compliant flooring to prevent fall-related injuries in older adults: A scoping review of biomechanical efficacy, clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and workplace safety

Author(s): Lachance, C. C., Jurkowski, M. P., Dymarz, A. C., Robinovitch, S. N., Feldman, F., Laing, A. C., Mackey, D. C., Tranah, G.
Compliant flooring may be broadly defined as any floor covering or flooring system with some degree of shock absorbency. Numerous previous studies have shown that different forms of compliant flooring can reduce the severity and incidence of fall-related injuries in older adult patients.
Key Point Summary
Added February 2017

Profile of inpatient falls in patients with dementia: A prospective comparative study between 100% single rooms and traditional multibedded wards

Author(s): Knight, S., Singh, I.
A previous study estimates that the number of people with dementia in the U.K. could reach over 1 million by the year 2025. This possibility places added pressure on U.K. hospitals to develop safer methods for taking care of patients with dementia. Dementia is associated with impaired mobility, and previous studies have shown that individuals with dementia are two to three times more likely to fall. Inpatient falls (IFs) account for nearly two-fifths of the patient safety incidents reported to the National Reporting and Learning System, and the risk of IF is highest in single-patient rooms. There are very few studies that examine the impact of dementia and IF in single rooms as compared with traditional multi-bed wards.
Key Point Summary
Added May 2016

Push Forces on Vinyl and Carpet for Conventional Wheeled and Motor-Driven Floor-Based Lifts among Direct Care Staff in Long-Term Care

Author(s): Korall, A. M. B., Lachance, C. C., Russell, C. M., Johnson, S. I., Feldman, F., Robinovitch, S. N., Mackey, D. C.
Added May 2016

Managing Patient Falls in Psychiatric Inpatient Units: Part 1

Author(s): Abraham, S.
A significantly higher number of patient falls occur in hospital inpatient psychiatric units than in medical-surgical areas, resulting in issues with overall patient safety. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers patient falls a concern to society due to the safety issues they pose and financial strains they can cause for institutions.
Key Point Summary
Added April 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

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.
Key Point Summary
Added February 2016

Older Adult Inpatient Falls in Acute Care Hospitals

Author(s): Zhao, Y. & Kim, H.
Traditional studies of patient falls have been focused on rehabilitation hospitals or nursing homes. This study seeks to add to the body of knowledge related to older adult patient falls by focusing on the acute care hospital setting.
Key Point Summary
Added January 2016

On SHiPs and Safety: A Journey of Safe Patient Handling in Pediatrics

Author(s): Huffman, G. M., Crumrine, J., Thompson, B., Mobley, B., Roth, K. and Roberts, C.
Nursing personnel have repeatedly been ranked among professionals that are most frequently impacted by musculoskeletal injuries. While research in this area has traditionally focused on injuries that occur with adult patients, the growing epidemic of obesity in children makes this a relevant topic to pediatric nurses as well.
Key Point Summary
Added January 2016

Outcome of in-patient falls in hospitals with 100% single rooms and multi-bedded wards

Author(s): Singh, I., Okeke, J., Edwards, C.
Patient falls are a major safety concern in hospitals. The authors report that up to 30% of patient falls result in injury, and that in the National Health Service (NHS) ward of U.K., 200,000 falls a year are documented. Of these, 900 incidents have been severe and 90 had resultant deaths.
Key Point Summary
Added December 2015

One size fits all? Mixed methods evaluation of the impact of 100% single-room accommodation on staff and patient experience, safety and costs

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.
Key Point Summary
Added September 2015

Fall prevention and bathroom safety in the epilepsy monitoring unit

Author(s): Spritzer, S. D., Riordan, K. C., Berry, J., Corbett, B. M., Gerke, J. K., Hoerth, M. T., Crepeau, A. Z., Drazkowski, J. F., Sirven, J. I., Noe, K. H.
Injury-inducing falls are one of the most common harmful events that occur in epilepsy monitoring units (EMUs). Considering the risk provoked by epileptic symptoms such as spontaneous seizures, patients admitted to EMUs may be more likely to sustain falling injuries over patients in other areas of the hospital.
Key Point Summary
Added September 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

Exploring Perceptions of Designers and Medical Staff in South Korea about Design Elements for the Elder-Friendly Hospital

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.
Key Point Summary
Added August 2015

Healing environment: A review of the impact of physical environmental factors on users

Author(s): Huisman, E. R. C. M., Morales, E., van Hoof, J., Kort, H. S. M.
According to the authors, research that examines the physical environment and its impact on the healing and well-being of human beings has been growing in the last several years. There is increasing availability of literature on evidence-based design.
Key Point Summary
Added March 2015

Inpatient fall prevention: Use of in-room Webcams

Author(s): Hardin, S. R., Dienemann, J., Rudisill, P., Mills, K. K.
The National Database for Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) maintains data on patient falls nationally. Reported fall rates have ranged from 2.2 to 7 per 1000 admissions; 10% to 25% of falls result in an injury, depending on patient population. Falls adversely impact hospital costs as well as patient costs and overall well-being. The California HealthCare Foundation reported that technological innovations in the field of fall prevention, such as wireless patient monitoring systems, resulted in faster nurse response times and increased satisfaction for both patients and staff.
Key Point Summary
Added December 2014

Are call light use and response time correlated with inpatient falls and inpatient dissatisfaction?

Author(s): Tzeng, H. M., Yin, C. Y.
Inpatients use call lights to seek nurses’ assistance. Although implied in patient safety, no studies have analyzed data related to the use of or response time to call lights collected by existing tracking mechanisms monitoring nursing practice.
Key Point Summary
Added November 2014