Evidence-based hospital design: Coming to a hospital near you
Most brand new hospitals being built today take evidence-based hospital design into account, and really they should. An article in the May 18 New York Times points out that taking hospital design into consideration can not only reduce medical errors, but it can offer a higher standard of quality care because it helps alleviate patient stress. Those in the field of evidence-based design say that the design of a hospital has a stronger effect on patient care than previously thought. For example, simply having single patient rooms takes away an entire level of stress that was not considered until recently. This includes stressors like noise and privacy concerns.
My fellow blogger Tami Swartz wrote this article about evidence-based design for HealthLeaders Media a couple of weeks ago, which specifically highlights some projects being done by the Center for Health Design. The Pebble Project, one of the CHD’s research initiatives, was as such because of the ripple effect caused by a pebble thrown into a pond. Likewise, the effect that good design can have on a patient’s stay in a hospital is being examined through this initiative. Additionally the use of light is being examined.
Do you work for a newer hospital that utilizes some principles of evidence-based design? If so, have you noticed any effect on patient care?
About the Author: Heather Comak is a Managing Editor at HCPro, Inc., where she is the editor of the monthly publication Briefings on Patient Safety, as well as patient safety-related books, webcasts, and audio conferences. She is also is the Assistant Director of the Association for Healthcare Accreditation Professionals (www.accreditationprofessional.com) and manages Patient Safety Monitor (www.patientsafetymonitor.com), of which this blog is a part.
Contact Heather by e-mailing hcomak@hcpro.com
