A seasonal pattern of hospital medication errors in Alaska
1995
Psychiatry Research
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 57
Pages 251-257
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%...
Added August 2012
Nosocomial Transmission of Tuberculosis Associated with a Draining Abscess
1990
Journal of Infectious Diseases
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 161
Pages 286-295
Author(s): Hutton, M. D., Stead, W. W., Cauthen, G. M., Bloch, A. B., Ewing, W. M.
Nine secondary cases of tuberculosis and 59 tuberculin skin test conversions occurred after exposure to a hospitalized patient with a large tuberculous abscess of the hip and thigh. Among 442 tuberculin-negative hospital employees, the relative risk of skin test conversion associated with recalled exposure to the patient was 14.0 (95% confidence limits, 6.8, 28.7). Four of 5 surgical suite...
Added August 2012
Hand Hygiene Behavior in a Pediatric Emergency Department and a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: Comparison of Use of 2 Dispenser Systems
2005
American Journal of Critical Care
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 14
Pages 304-311
Author(s): Larson, E. L., Albrecht, S., O'Keefe, M.
Unwashed hands of healthcare workers often become reservoirs of infectious pathogens and serve as media for pathogen transmission. Hand hygiene is considered as the single most important approach for preventing nosocomial infections. However, the compliance rates of hand hygiene in healthcare workers are typically low. Multiple factors, such as the fragrance of hand hygiene products and the location of sinks and dispensers, may impact hand hygiene compliance rate.
Added August 2012
Effects of simulated facility-design changes on outpatient pharmacy efficiency
1988
American Journal of Hospital Pharmacy
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 45
Pages 116-121
Author(s): Lin, A. C., Barker, K. N., Hassall, T. H., Gallelli, J. F.
The potential effects of using the Baker drug counter or the Systamodule pharmacy fixture, or both, on the efficiency of the current outpatient pharmacy system at the National Institutes of Health were evaluated by computer simulation. It was hypothesized that the use of these two devices would reduce (1) the prescription-filling time (RxFT) and (2) the distance traveled (DT) by pharmacists in...
Added August 2012
Increasing Handwashing Compliance With More Accessible Sinks
1986
Infection Control
Journal Article
Issue 8
Volume 7
Pages 408-410
Author(s): Kaplan, L. M., McGuckin, M.
There is a significant body of evidence on how handwashing can reduce the spread of Hospital Acquired Infections (HAI). The directive for design is to aid handwashing compliance by the design and placement of sinks.
Added October 2012
Randomized, Controlled Trial of a Nonpharmacological Intervention to Improve Abnormal Sleep/Wake Patterns in Nursing Home Residents
2005
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
Journal Article
Issue 5
Volume 53
Pages 803-810
Author(s): Alessi, C.A., Martin, J.L., Webber, A.P., Kim, E.C., Harker, J.O., Josephson, K.R.
Sleep disturbance, common in older adults living in the community, is even more prevalent in long-stay nursing home residents. Studies suggest that non-pharmacological interventions such as timed exposure to bright light, increased physical activity, or decreased nighttime noise and light levels can be an alternative approaches for improving sleep patterns in nursing home residents.
Added October 2012
The Effect of a Wall Mural on Decreasing Four Types of Door-Testing Behaviors.
2003
Journal of Applied Gerontology
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 22
Pages 76-88
Author(s): Kincaid, C., Peacock, J.R.
This study examined the effect that a wall mural painted over an exit door had on decreasing door-testing behaviors of residents with dementia. 12 residents (mean age 78 yrs) who tested the doors regularly were observed over a 12-week period. The frequency of 4 types of door-testing behaviors before and after the wall mural installation was explored.
Added October 2012
Noise, stress, and annoyance in a pediatric intensive care unit
2003
Critical Care Medicine
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 31
Pages 113-119
Author(s): Morrison, W.E., Haas, E.C., Shaffner, D.H., Garrett, E.S., Fackler, J.C.
To measure and describe hospital noise and determine whether noise can be correlated with nursing stress measured by questionnaire, salivary amylase, and heart rate.
Added October 2012
Influence of nursing-unit design on the activities and subjective feelings of nursing personnel
1970
Environment and Behavior
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 2
Pages 303-334
Author(s): Trites, D.K., Galbraith, F.D., Sturdavant, M., Leckwart, J.F.
Performed intensive comparisons of the effect of radial, double-corridor, and single-corridor nursing units on the activities and feelings of nursing personnel, using multiple linear regression methods to remove as many extraneous factors as possible from comparisons. The radial design was found to be superior to the double corridor, and superior to the single corridor in most instances. Nursing...
Added October 2012
Premature infant responses to noise reduction by earmuffs: effects on behavioral and physiologic measures
1995
Journal of Perinatology
Journal Article
Issue 6
Volume 15
Pages 448-455
Author(s): Zahr, L.K., de Traversay, J.
The continuous high-intensity noise in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is both stressful and harmful for the premature infant. Although some researchers have found evidence that loud noise can cause hearing loss and alter physiologic and behavioral responses, no study to date has investigated the benefits of noise reduction by the use of earmuffs. In this study earmuffs were placed over...
Added October 2012
Impact of Emergency Department Built Environment on Timeliness of Physician Assessment of Patients With Chest Pain
2008
Environment & Behavior
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 40
Pages 233-248
Author(s): Hall, K. K., Kyriacou, D. N., Handler, J. A., Adams, J. G.
With millions of chest-pain related visits to the emergency department (ED) each year, this demographic one of the most frequently studied in the emergency medicine (ED) literature. As the timeliness of care can lead to significant decreases in both morbidity and mortality, the authors suggest that elements of the architectural design of an ED, specifically the location of the treatment rooms (distance from physician work areas), should be considered when evaluating factors related to quality of care.
Added October 2012
Attribute correlates of hospital outpatient satisfaction
1995
Journal of Ambulatory Care Marketing
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 6
Pages 11-43
Author(s): Krueckeberg, H. F., Hubbert, A.
Patient satisfaction with hospital outpatient or ambulatory services is an important factor in influencing patient patronage and loyalty. With the increasing growth of revenue associated with outpatient procedures, this area of practice has important opportunities for market-share development through employee behavior and the influence of management and marketing strategies.
Added October 2012
Outcomes of environmental appraisal of different hospital waiting areas
2003
Environment and Behavior
Journal Article
Issue 6
Volume 35
Pages 842-869
Author(s): Leather, P., Beale, D., Santos, A., Watts, J., Lee, L.
Hospitals can be unfamliar environments and can create negative feelings and stress. The physical environmentcan be a source of stress or haved an effect on coping resources. Past research identifies disparities and hierarchical differences between the way environmental needs and desires are prioritized for clinical and medical staff; inpatients; outpatients; and visitors. Few studies evaluate ambulatory care environments.
Added October 2012
Effect of Sacred Space Environment on Surgical Patient Outcomes: A Pilot Study
2009
International Journal for Human Caring
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 13
Pages 49-59
Author(s): Schmock, B. N., Breckenridge, D. M., Benedict, K.
With the growing trend to patient-centered care, nurses are often tasked to evaluate how care is delivered. The perioperative environment is highly technical in nature and is often perceived as cold, while creating a sense of fear in patients. This study's purpose was to create an alternative healing environment (termed a sacred space and comprised of both environmental and nurse behavioral factors) compared to the traditional environment for surgical patients in the operating room (OR).
Added October 2012
Factors Determining Inpatient Satisfaction With Care
2002
Social Science & Medicine
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 54
Pages 493-504
Author(s): Thi, P. L.N. , Briancon,S., Empereur, F., Guillemin, F.
With the growing interest in patient-centered care, patient evaluations of their own experiences have been increasingly used to improve the quality of care. Factors associated with satisfaction are thought to include the structure, process and outcome of care as well as patient sociodemographic, physical and psychological status, and attitudes and expectations concerning medical care.
Added October 2012
Wandering and the Physical Environment
2010
American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementia
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 25
Pages 340-346
Author(s): Algase, D., Beattie, E.R.A., Antonakos, C., Beel-Bates, C.A., Yao.L.
Wandering is one of the most challenging and potentially dangerous behavior seen among individuals with Alzheimer's Disease. Wandering is often associated with negative consequences such as getting lost, fatigue, injury and even death. The physical environment has been identified as a key component in addressing wandering and other dementia-related behavior. However, there is very little research that clearly identifies the role of specific physical environmental features either singly or in combination with other features in promoting or reducing dementia-related behaviors such as wandering.
Added October 2012
Impact of Visual Art on Patient Behavior in the Emergency Department Waiting Room
2012
The Journal of Emergency Medicine
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 43
Pages 172–181
Author(s): Nanda, U., Chanaud, C, , Nelson, M., Zhu, X., Bajema, R., Jansen, B. H.
Wait times have been reported to be one of the most important concerns for people visiting emergency departments (EDs). Additionally, distrust between the patients and staff of the hospital, patients’ consistent focus on their status, and an uncertainty about the waiting time have been identified as contributors to patient anxiety, fear, confusion, and annoyance. Affective states significantly impact perception of wait time and may be impacted by environmental interventions, such as art depicting nature that has been shown to reduce stress levels and anxiety.
Added October 2012
Evaluation of the built environment at a Children's Convalescent Hospital: Development of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (TM) parent and staff satisfaction measures for pediatric health care facilities
2004
Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 25
Pages 10-20
Author(s): Varni J. W., Burwinkle T. M., Dickinson P., Sherman S. A., Dixon P., Ervice J. A., Leyden P. A., Sadler B. L.
The expectation that the hospital built environment may affect the health and satisfaction of patients and their families continues to interest health care providers and hospital administrators as they differentiate and distinguish the quality and health outcomes of their services. In preparation for the design, construction, and postoccupancy evaluation of a new Children’s Convalescent Hospital, focus groups were conducted and measurement instruments were developed to quantify and characterize parent and staff satisfaction with the built environment of an existing pediatric health care facility, a 30-year-old, 59-bed, long-term, skilled nursing facility dedicated to the care of medically fragile children with complex chronic conditions. The measurement instruments were designed in close collaboration with parents, staff, and senior management involved with the existing and planned facility.
Added October 2012
The impact of ward design on the behaviour, occupational satisfaction and well-being of psychiatric nurses
2002
International Journal of Mental Health Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 11
Pages 94–102
Author(s): Tyson, G. A. , Lambert, G., Beattie, L.
Studies have shown that modifications to the physical environment of psychiatric institutions are associated with positive changes in patient behavior, attitudes and perceptions, but less attention has been paid to the impact of these changes on the nursing staff.
Added October 2012
Effects of different interior decorations in the seclusion area of a psychiatric acute ward
2005
Nordic Journal of Psychiatry
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 59
Pages 19-24
Author(s): Vaaler, A.E., Morken, G., Linaker, O.M.
Seclusion, or containment of a patient in an enclosed area, is a common practice in psychiatric acute wards. Traditionally such areas have been used for the dual purpose of meeting the safety and containment needs of behaviorally disturbed patients, and obtaining a decrease in sensory and emotional input (based on the belief that external stimuli would cause patients to suffer excessive mental anxiety). The design and furnishings of the seclusion area are influenced by this need to reduce external stimuli and maintain safety. They are typically sparsely furnished minimizing risk of any physical harm.
Added October 2012
