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
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
Shaping the slats of hospital patient room window blinds for daylighting and external view under desert clear skies
2016
Solar Energy
Journal Article
Author(s): Sherif, A., Sabry, H., Wagdy, A., Mashaly, I, Arafa, R.
Many previous studies have shown how natural lighting can contribute to the healing nature of a hospital’s environment by reducing patient fatigue, stress, and length of stay. Desert locations are often characterized by continually clear skies, making control of the sunlight even more essential to patient satisfaction. It is therefore important to determine the optimal shape of window blind slats so that discomfort can be reduced without compromising levels of illumination.
Added April 2016
Managing Patient Falls in Psychiatric Inpatient Units: Part 1
2016
The Health Care Manager
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 35
Pages 21-27
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.
Added April 2016
Profile of inpatient falls in patients with dementia: A prospective comparative study between 100% single rooms and traditional multibedded wards
2016
Journal of Clinical Gerontology and Geriatrics
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 7
Pages 87-92
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.
Added May 2016
Does Space Matter? An Exploratory Study for a Child-Adolescent Mental Health Inpatient Unit
2016
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 10
Pages 23-44
Author(s): Trzpuc, S. J., Wendt, K. A., Heitzman, S. C., Skemp, S., Thomas, D., Dahl, R.
Added June 2016
Ergonomical aspects of anaesthetic practice
2016
Indian Journal of Anaesthesia
Journal Article
Issue 5
Volume 60
Pages 306
Author(s): Raghavendra, R.S.
Anesthesiologists typically act as data analyzers, investigators, and planners for forthcoming surgical events, but only after patients and their families have been convinced that the procedure is appropriate. With the field of anesthesiology rapidly developing, it is imperative that workstations are optimized so that procedures can be conducted efficiently and safely. Ergonomics is defined as a discipline that explores and applies information regarding human characteristics, requirements, limitations, and abilities to the development, design, engineering, and testing of equipment, systems, and occupations.
Added June 2016
Ebola Holding Units at government hospitals in Sierra Leone: evidence for a flexible and effective model for safe isolation, early treatment initiation, hospital safety and health system functioning
2016
BMJ Global Health
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 1
Pages 1-8
Author(s): Johnson, O., Youkee, D., Brown, C. S., Lado, M., Wurie, A., Bash-Taqi, D., Hall, A., Hanciles, E., Kamara, I., Kamara, C., Kamboz, A., Seedat, A., Thomas, S., Kamara, T. B., Leather, A. J. M., Kargbo, B.
The outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in West Africa during 2014-2015 was an unprecedented modern crisis that required novel approaches to outbreak containment and management. In response, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MOHS) and the King’s Sierra Leone Partnership (KSLP) in Freetown, Sierra Leone, worked to develop and implement five new Ebola Holding Units (EHUs) in government hospitals, which successfully isolated 37% of the 3,097 confirmed EVD cases within the country’s Western Urban and Rural district.
Added June 2016
Exploring Environmental Variation in Residential Care Facilities for Older People
2016
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 10
Pages 49-65
Author(s): Nordin, S., McKee, K., Wijk, H., Elf, M.
Added June 2016
Mental and Behavioral Health Environments: Critical Considerations for Facility Design
2016
General Hospital Psychiatry
Journal Article
Author(s): Shepley, M. M., Watson, A., Pitts, F., Garrity, A., Spelman, E., Kelkar, J., Fronsman, A.
Mental and behavioral health (MBH) facilities are being built and renovated at an increasing rate, but research concerning best building practices has not kept pace with construction. Evidence-based design (EBD) involves the use of research to help multidisciplinary design teams create the most appropriate built environments.
Added July 2016
Delivering Rural Health in a Changing Health Model: A Qualitative Study Involving Four Hospitals
2016
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 10
Pages 76-86
Author(s): Pati, D., Gaines, K., Valipoor, S.
Added July 2016
"Let's Sit Forward": Investigating Interprofessional Communication, Collaboration, Professional Roles, and Physical Space at EmergiCare
2016
Health Communication
Journal Article
Issue 12
Volume 31
Pages 1506-1516
Author(s): Dean, M., Gill, R., Barbour, J. B.
Due to the fact that emergency department (ED) caregivers are constantly involved in interprofessional, knowledge-intensive conversations, effective modes of communication necessarily play a key role in promoting patient health and safety. Previous studies have explored how the physical environment directly affects modes of communication, and how these two dimensions of the healthcare environment constantly intersect with each other.
Added August 2016
An Assessment of Levels of Safety in Psychiatric Units
2016
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 10
Pages 66-80
Author(s): Bayramzadeh, S.
As mental treatment facilities see increases in the number of patients seeking care, facilities face mounting pressure in their attempts to promote patient well-being and safety. The author suggests that there is a lack of systematic empirical studies that examine how the design of mental healthcare facilities contributes to patient care and safety.
Added September 2016
Security Implications of Physical Design Attributes in the Emergency Department
2016
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 9
Pages 50-63
Author(s): Pati, D., Pati, S., Harvey, T. E.
In this paper, the authors consider “security” a subset of “safety,” and note that security is imperative for providing efficient patient care, especially in emergency departments (EDs). Security is defined as the protection of people and property, while safety is defined as the broader concept of delivering patient care.
Added September 2016
Designing Health Care Facilities to Maximize Productivity and Patient Outcomes
2016
Proceedings of the International Symposium on Human Factors and Ergonomics in Health Care
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 5
Pages 38-43
Author(s): Miller, K., Kowalski, R., Arnold, R., Coffey-Zern, S., Monson, S.
Added September 2016
Water Safety and Legionella in Health Care: Priorities, Policy, and Practice
2016
Infectious Disease Clinics of North America
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 30
Pages 689-712
Author(s): Gamage, S. D., Ambrose, M., Kralovic, S. M., Roselle, G. A.
Added September 2016
Surface Finish Materials: Considerations for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
2016
Newborn and Infant Nursing Reviews
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 16
Pages 203-207
Author(s): Harris, D.
In this literature review, it is shown that a growing body of research has been focusing on how surface material finishes within neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) can contribute to the operational, clinical, and social aspects of health outcomes.
Added September 2016
Light at Night and Measures of Alertness and Performance: Implications for Shift Workers
2016
Biological Research For Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 18
Pages 90-100
Author(s): Figueiro, M. G., Sahin, L., Wood, B., Plitnick, B.
Rotating-shift workers, particularly those working at night, are likely to experience sleepiness, decreased productivity, and impaired safety while on the job. Light at night has been shown to have acute alerting effects, reduce sleepiness, and improve performance. However, light at night can also suppress melatonin and induce circadian disruption, both of which have been linked to increased health risks. Previous studies have shown that long-wavelength (red) light exposure increases objective and subjective measures of alertness at night, without suppressing nocturnal melatonin.
Added November 2016
Multidisciplinary Testing of Floor Pads on Stability, Energy Absorption, and Ease of Hospital Use for Enhanced Patient Safety
2016
Journal of Patient Safety
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 12
Pages 132-139
Author(s): Crane, B., Goodworth, A., Liquori, M., Ghosh, S., Certo, C., McCafferty, L.
Added December 2016
Older Adults’ Outdoor Walking: Inequalities in Neighbourhood Safety, Pedestrian Infrastructure and Aesthetics
2016
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Journal Article
Issue 12
Volume 13
Pages 1-24
Author(s): Zandieh, R., Martinez, J., Flacke, J., Jones, P., van Maarseveen, M.
Added December 2016
