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Safety

Safety has often been addressed differently between the design industry and healthcare owners. Designers often think of safety in the context of fire and life safety, while healthcare owners and caregivers may think of safety in the context of serious reportable events and hospital-acquired conditions. But poorly designed and operated healthcare environments can also contribute to harm associated with adverse events such as healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), medication errors, injury from patient handling, self-harm (or violence against others), security breaches, and falls. Safety in healthcare is complex and requires a systems approach – understanding the organizational factors, the people, and the often overlooked environment. This toolbox details six risk components in healthcare settings (going beyond fire and life safety), with design considerations for the built environment that may contribute to improved safety for all who use a facility – staff, patients, visitors, and others. 
To View A Complete List Of Toolbox Contents And Resources, Click Here. 

Open access to this toolbox is made possible by our partnership with:

Insights & Solutions

Executive Summary
March 2015 Executive Summary

Learn about: the frequency and cost of falls among older adults, reasons older people fall and what can be done to prevent falls, and other safety concerns among older adults.

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Executive Summary
April 2015 Executive Summary

Learn about: the importance of hand hygiene in improving safety, quality, and economic impact, a systems approach to hand hygiene that integrates environmental, operational, and personal factors for infection prevention, and new, effective, and easy-to-implement hand hygiene measures.

Webinar
September 2013 Webinar

Patient falls are the most common adverse event reported in acute care settings, affecting from between 2% to 10% of annual hospital admissions. Patient falls cause increased morbidity, mortality, length of stay, and have significant cost impacts. One recent study examined the relationship of design factors in patient rooms to falls in 30 units in 15 hospitals. Results indicate key factors associated with higher numbers of falls, including multi-person rooms, shared toilet rooms, number and location of grab bars, and others. Explore the intrinsic and extrinsic factors on fall risk and the role design plays in mitigating these factors through real design solutions. 

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