Pub Date : 2024-07-01Epub Date: 2024-03-11DOI: 10.1177/19375867241237506
Faezeh Ghaffari
Purpose: This study investigates the relationship between environmental quality and medical sociology in hospitals and suggests a conceptual framework for understanding their interrelation.
Background: Despite the importance of environmental properties in the sociological approach to users' health and the role of medical sociology research in the design of hospital environments, few studies have been conducted in the field of hospital environments and medical sociology interrelation. Therefore, this article attempts to fill this gap in our knowledge.
Methods: A systematic review was carried out in five databases (Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, MEDLINE, and ScienceDirect) based on PRISMA guidelines to survey how environmental quality and medical sociology factors are related in the medical/environmental sociology research and the hospital design.
Results: The search yielded the final 17 potentially relevant articles after finding 3,840 records, screening 1,295 nonduplicate articles, and reviewing 158 full-text articles. The findings revealed that four main aspects of medical sociology (physical-biological, psychological, social, and economic) and hospital environmental quality (physical, social, and psychological dimensions) influence users' health and disease status. The hospital environment includes various social issues in medical sociology (like interactions, behavior patterns, lifestyle, work motivation, and culture). The physical and psychosocial factors of the hospital environment (such as spatial configuration, aesthetics, scale, privacy, and collective spaces) are associated with psychosocial aspects of medical sociology (like social class, behavior patterns, culture, and lifestyle).
Conclusion: Environmental features and psychosocial issues should be considered to improve users' health and experience in hospitals and to create a user-centered health-promoting environment.
{"title":"Hospital Environment and Medical Sociology: User-Centered Environmental Sociology Model Based on a Systematic Review.","authors":"Faezeh Ghaffari","doi":"10.1177/19375867241237506","DOIUrl":"10.1177/19375867241237506","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study investigates the relationship between environmental quality and medical sociology in hospitals and suggests a conceptual framework for understanding their interrelation.</p><p><strong>Background: </strong>Despite the importance of environmental properties in the sociological approach to users' health and the role of medical sociology research in the design of hospital environments, few studies have been conducted in the field of hospital environments and medical sociology interrelation. Therefore, this article attempts to fill this gap in our knowledge.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A systematic review was carried out in five databases (Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, MEDLINE, and ScienceDirect) based on PRISMA guidelines to survey how environmental quality and medical sociology factors are related in the medical/environmental sociology research and the hospital design.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The search yielded the final 17 potentially relevant articles after finding 3,840 records, screening 1,295 nonduplicate articles, and reviewing 158 full-text articles. The findings revealed that four main aspects of medical sociology (physical-biological, psychological, social, and economic) and hospital environmental quality (physical, social, and psychological dimensions) influence users' health and disease status. The hospital environment includes various social issues in medical sociology (like interactions, behavior patterns, lifestyle, work motivation, and culture). The physical and psychosocial factors of the hospital environment (such as spatial configuration, aesthetics, scale, privacy, and collective spaces) are associated with psychosocial aspects of medical sociology (like social class, behavior patterns, culture, and lifestyle).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Environmental features and psychosocial issues should be considered to improve users' health and experience in hospitals and to create a user-centered health-promoting environment.</p>","PeriodicalId":47306,"journal":{"name":"Herd-Health Environments Research & Design Journal","volume":" ","pages":"395-410"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140102624","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-08DOI: 10.1177/19375867241248561
Howard Frumkin
{"title":"Book review: Nature, design, and health: Explorations of a landscape architect","authors":"Howard Frumkin","doi":"10.1177/19375867241248561","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/19375867241248561","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":47306,"journal":{"name":"Herd-Health Environments Research & Design Journal","volume":"32 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140925645","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-29DOI: 10.1177/19375867241248598
Dawn Marie Loraas
Objectives:This phenomenological study aimed to elucidate the lived experiences of employees suffering from poor indoor air quality (IAQ) in their university workplace. It addresses gaps in understanding IAQ’s personal impacts from occupants’ perspectives.Background:Prior research on sick building syndrome and indoor air pollution utilized quantitative methods to assess physical health outcomes. However, few studies have adopted qualitative approaches to uncover the meanings ascribed to adverse IAQ experiences and their influences on psychosocial well-being.Methods:In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with five university employees who attributed their chronic illnesses to poor IAQ in their 60-year-old office building with a history of IAQ concerns. Verbatim transcripts were analyzed using qualitative techniques including thematic coding to extract key themes conveying shared experiences.Results:Employees depicted the building itself as fundamentally “sick” and stigmatized, compelling complex coping behaviors hindering productivity. Communication breakdowns, mistrust in leadership, and strained workplace relationships were prevalent. A sense of betrayal, powerlessness, and a sense of detachment from the workplace emerged with home as a refuge.Conclusions:Although technically adequate, poor IAQ profoundly damaged perceived health, quality of life, relationships, and satisfaction. The accounts emphasize IAQ’s psychosocial dimensions, advancing theoretical links between indoor environments and well-being. Supportive policies, transparency, communication, participatory processes, and human-centered strategies emerge as ways to nurture productivity, well-being, and organizational health.
{"title":"Breathing Uneasily: Employees’ Stories of Coping With Poor Indoor Air Quality in the Workplace","authors":"Dawn Marie Loraas","doi":"10.1177/19375867241248598","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/19375867241248598","url":null,"abstract":"Objectives:This phenomenological study aimed to elucidate the lived experiences of employees suffering from poor indoor air quality (IAQ) in their university workplace. It addresses gaps in understanding IAQ’s personal impacts from occupants’ perspectives.Background:Prior research on sick building syndrome and indoor air pollution utilized quantitative methods to assess physical health outcomes. However, few studies have adopted qualitative approaches to uncover the meanings ascribed to adverse IAQ experiences and their influences on psychosocial well-being.Methods:In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with five university employees who attributed their chronic illnesses to poor IAQ in their 60-year-old office building with a history of IAQ concerns. Verbatim transcripts were analyzed using qualitative techniques including thematic coding to extract key themes conveying shared experiences.Results:Employees depicted the building itself as fundamentally “sick” and stigmatized, compelling complex coping behaviors hindering productivity. Communication breakdowns, mistrust in leadership, and strained workplace relationships were prevalent. A sense of betrayal, powerlessness, and a sense of detachment from the workplace emerged with home as a refuge.Conclusions:Although technically adequate, poor IAQ profoundly damaged perceived health, quality of life, relationships, and satisfaction. The accounts emphasize IAQ’s psychosocial dimensions, advancing theoretical links between indoor environments and well-being. Supportive policies, transparency, communication, participatory processes, and human-centered strategies emerge as ways to nurture productivity, well-being, and organizational health.","PeriodicalId":47306,"journal":{"name":"Herd-Health Environments Research & Design Journal","volume":"91 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140835234","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-22DOI: 10.1177/19375867241239320
Miia Heikkilä, Ira Verma, Suvi Nenonen
This study explores the integration of nature and art in recent hospital construction projects in Finland, focusing on public hospitals. Interviews with 15 stakeholders, including hospital executives, workers, designers, artists, and architects, reveal the value placed on nature and nature-themed art in hospital settings. The research question presented was: How nature and art are incorporated in Finnish hospitals in order to achieve a restorative hospital environment? Findings highlight themes that appeared in different hospitals: (1) the desired atmosphere, (2) nature and multisensory experiences, (3) social support, and (4) sense of connection and belonging. Bringing nature inside the hospital, whether through natural elements or artworks, emerges as a promising approach. Despite positive outcomes, challenges such as cost and maintenance persist, indicating the need for further research to optimize these initiatives. Overall, incorporating nature and art in hospitals has the potential to enhance healing and well-being for patients, families, and healthcare workers.
{"title":"Toward Restorative Hospital Environment: Nature and Art in Finnish Hospitals","authors":"Miia Heikkilä, Ira Verma, Suvi Nenonen","doi":"10.1177/19375867241239320","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/19375867241239320","url":null,"abstract":"This study explores the integration of nature and art in recent hospital construction projects in Finland, focusing on public hospitals. Interviews with 15 stakeholders, including hospital executives, workers, designers, artists, and architects, reveal the value placed on nature and nature-themed art in hospital settings. The research question presented was: How nature and art are incorporated in Finnish hospitals in order to achieve a restorative hospital environment? Findings highlight themes that appeared in different hospitals: (1) the desired atmosphere, (2) nature and multisensory experiences, (3) social support, and (4) sense of connection and belonging. Bringing nature inside the hospital, whether through natural elements or artworks, emerges as a promising approach. Despite positive outcomes, challenges such as cost and maintenance persist, indicating the need for further research to optimize these initiatives. Overall, incorporating nature and art in hospitals has the potential to enhance healing and well-being for patients, families, and healthcare workers.","PeriodicalId":47306,"journal":{"name":"Herd-Health Environments Research & Design Journal","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140637290","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-16DOI: 10.1177/19375867241244468
Dagmar Rittenbacher, Sheila J. Bosch, Shabboo Valipoor, Lesa Lorusso
Research Purpose:This study aimed to develop a preliminary Nurses’ Physical Environmental Stress Scale (NPESS) that explores the relationships between the physical environment in the intensive care unit (ICU) and work-related stress among ICU nurses.Background:Working within the healthcare field is stressful and comes with a high level of responsibility for nurses, especially ICU nurses. The ICU work environment is associated with risk factors such as excessive workload, increased expectations, and long working hours that can lead to burnout among nurses. There is some evidence that environmental design has the potential to prevent or mitigate work-related stress; however, an adequate assessment tool to identify physical environmental stressors or supports for moderating stress is lacking.Methods:To develop the preliminary environmental assessment tool, an exploratory sequential methodology was used. The approach consisted of three distinct phases, including (a) a qualitative content analysis of existing focus group data, (b) a qualitative content analysis of pertinent literature related to environmental assessment tools in a healthcare context, and (c) the development and refinement of the NPESS assessment tool. Tool refinement was based on interviews with ICU nurses.Results:The resulting NPESS tool was comprised of seven sections (sounds, lighting, smells, staff respite spaces, staff workspaces, patient rooms, and aesthetic qualities) containing a total of and 81 items that address factors that were identified as potential moderators of environmental stress in ICU settings.Conclusions:The resulting NPESS assessment tool provides a feasible approach for evaluating ICU settings to identify possible improvements to reduce stress among nurses. Future research will be conducted to assess the validity and reliability of the final tool by distributing it to a larger sample of ICU nurses.
{"title":"Preliminary Development of Items for a Nurses’ Physical Environmental Stress Scale","authors":"Dagmar Rittenbacher, Sheila J. Bosch, Shabboo Valipoor, Lesa Lorusso","doi":"10.1177/19375867241244468","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/19375867241244468","url":null,"abstract":"Research Purpose:This study aimed to develop a preliminary Nurses’ Physical Environmental Stress Scale (NPESS) that explores the relationships between the physical environment in the intensive care unit (ICU) and work-related stress among ICU nurses.Background:Working within the healthcare field is stressful and comes with a high level of responsibility for nurses, especially ICU nurses. The ICU work environment is associated with risk factors such as excessive workload, increased expectations, and long working hours that can lead to burnout among nurses. There is some evidence that environmental design has the potential to prevent or mitigate work-related stress; however, an adequate assessment tool to identify physical environmental stressors or supports for moderating stress is lacking.Methods:To develop the preliminary environmental assessment tool, an exploratory sequential methodology was used. The approach consisted of three distinct phases, including (a) a qualitative content analysis of existing focus group data, (b) a qualitative content analysis of pertinent literature related to environmental assessment tools in a healthcare context, and (c) the development and refinement of the NPESS assessment tool. Tool refinement was based on interviews with ICU nurses.Results:The resulting NPESS tool was comprised of seven sections (sounds, lighting, smells, staff respite spaces, staff workspaces, patient rooms, and aesthetic qualities) containing a total of and 81 items that address factors that were identified as potential moderators of environmental stress in ICU settings.Conclusions:The resulting NPESS assessment tool provides a feasible approach for evaluating ICU settings to identify possible improvements to reduce stress among nurses. Future research will be conducted to assess the validity and reliability of the final tool by distributing it to a larger sample of ICU nurses.","PeriodicalId":47306,"journal":{"name":"Herd-Health Environments Research & Design Journal","volume":"301 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140609547","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-12DOI: 10.1177/19375867241238470
Daehwa Baek, Jeongyeop Baek, Jaechang Noh, Yeinn Oh, Lisa Lim
Objective:This study aims to review and synthesize what design factors are associated with the physiological and psychological health of occupants in underground spaces.Background:The development of underground spaces offers options to global challenges, such as traffic congestion, urban overcrowding, the revitalization of dormant underground areas, disaster mitigation, and adaptation to extreme environments. Despite these advantages, concerns persist about potential adverse effects on human health in these environments. This situation underlines the necessity of systematically identifying concerns and perceptions related to health in underground spaces.Methods:A narrative literature review was conducted to examine the relationship between design factors and health factors across 21 empirical studies. Based on the review of the identified literature, a relationship diagram was developed to depict the interconnections between the identified design and health factors.Results:The analysis identified design factors related to the air, sound, light, nature, transport, and spatial context of underground spaces, each of which exerted relationships with occupants’ physiological and psychological health factors. The relationship diagram indicated that the psychological factor “feeling of confinement” was mentioned most frequently, suggesting that it is one of the most extensively researched factors in this context.Conclusions:The relationship diagram aims to bridge the existing knowledge gap and set the stage for future research endeavors. The ultimate goal is to refine urban living standards by leveraging the potential of underground spaces while ensuring health and well-being.
{"title":"Toward Healthy Underground Spaces: A Review of Underground Environmental Design Factors and Their Impacts on Users' Physiological and Psychological Health","authors":"Daehwa Baek, Jeongyeop Baek, Jaechang Noh, Yeinn Oh, Lisa Lim","doi":"10.1177/19375867241238470","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/19375867241238470","url":null,"abstract":"Objective:This study aims to review and synthesize what design factors are associated with the physiological and psychological health of occupants in underground spaces.Background:The development of underground spaces offers options to global challenges, such as traffic congestion, urban overcrowding, the revitalization of dormant underground areas, disaster mitigation, and adaptation to extreme environments. Despite these advantages, concerns persist about potential adverse effects on human health in these environments. This situation underlines the necessity of systematically identifying concerns and perceptions related to health in underground spaces.Methods:A narrative literature review was conducted to examine the relationship between design factors and health factors across 21 empirical studies. Based on the review of the identified literature, a relationship diagram was developed to depict the interconnections between the identified design and health factors.Results:The analysis identified design factors related to the air, sound, light, nature, transport, and spatial context of underground spaces, each of which exerted relationships with occupants’ physiological and psychological health factors. The relationship diagram indicated that the psychological factor “feeling of confinement” was mentioned most frequently, suggesting that it is one of the most extensively researched factors in this context.Conclusions:The relationship diagram aims to bridge the existing knowledge gap and set the stage for future research endeavors. The ultimate goal is to refine urban living standards by leveraging the potential of underground spaces while ensuring health and well-being.","PeriodicalId":47306,"journal":{"name":"Herd-Health Environments Research & Design Journal","volume":"147 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140575704","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-09DOI: 10.1177/19375867241238434
Nooshin Seddighi, Ying-Ching Chen, Andrew S. Merryweather, K. Bo Foreman, Alan Kuntz, Edoardo Battaglia, Haohan Zhang, Ellen Taylor, Bob Wong, Peter C. Fino
Objectives:Falls in hospitals pose a significant safety risk, leading to injuries, prolonged hospitalization, and lasting complications. This study explores the potential of augmented reality (AR) technology in healthcare facility design to mitigate fall risk.Background:Few studies have investigated the impact of hospital room layouts on falls due to the high cost of building physical prototypes. This study introduces an innovative approach using AR technology to advance methods for healthcare facility design efficiently.Methods:Ten healthy participants enrolled in this study to examine different hospital room designs in AR. Factors of interest included room configuration, door type, exit side of the bed, toilet placement, and the presence of IV equipment. AR trackers captured trajectories of the body as participants navigated through these AR hospital layouts, providing insights into user behavior and preferences.Results:Door type influenced the degree of backward and sideways movement, with the presence of an IV pole intensifying the interaction between door and room type, leading to increased sideways and backward motion. Participants displayed varying patterns of backward and sideways travel depending on the specific room configurations they encountered.Conclusions:AR can be an efficient and cost-effective method to modify room configurations to identify important design factors before conducting physical testing. The results of this study provide valuable insights into the effect of environmental factors on movement patterns in simulated hospital rooms. These results highlight the importance of considering environmental factors, such as the type of door and bathroom location, when designing healthcare facilities.
目标：医院中的跌倒会带来巨大的安全风险，导致受伤、住院时间延长和持久的并发症。本研究探讨了增强现实（AR）技术在医疗设施设计中降低跌倒风险的潜力。背景：由于构建物理原型的成本较高，很少有研究调查了医院病房布局对跌倒的影响。本研究介绍了一种使用 AR 技术的创新方法，可有效推进医疗设施设计方法的发展。方法：10 名健康参与者参与了本研究，通过 AR 检查不同的医院病房设计。感兴趣的因素包括房间配置、门的类型、床的出口侧、厕所的位置以及是否有静脉注射设备。AR追踪器捕捉了参与者在这些AR医院布局中的身体轨迹，为用户行为和偏好提供了洞察力。结果：门的类型影响了后退和侧向运动的程度，输液杆的存在加强了门和房间类型之间的相互作用，导致侧向和后退运动增加。结论：在进行物理测试之前，AR 可以作为一种高效、经济的方法来修改房间配置，以确定重要的设计因素。本研究的结果为了解环境因素对模拟病房内运动模式的影响提供了宝贵的见解。这些结果凸显了在设计医疗设施时考虑环境因素（如门的类型和卫生间的位置）的重要性。
{"title":"The Impact of Design Factors on User Behavior in a Virtual Hospital Room to Explore Fall Prevention Strategies","authors":"Nooshin Seddighi, Ying-Ching Chen, Andrew S. Merryweather, K. Bo Foreman, Alan Kuntz, Edoardo Battaglia, Haohan Zhang, Ellen Taylor, Bob Wong, Peter C. Fino","doi":"10.1177/19375867241238434","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/19375867241238434","url":null,"abstract":"Objectives:Falls in hospitals pose a significant safety risk, leading to injuries, prolonged hospitalization, and lasting complications. This study explores the potential of augmented reality (AR) technology in healthcare facility design to mitigate fall risk.Background:Few studies have investigated the impact of hospital room layouts on falls due to the high cost of building physical prototypes. This study introduces an innovative approach using AR technology to advance methods for healthcare facility design efficiently.Methods:Ten healthy participants enrolled in this study to examine different hospital room designs in AR. Factors of interest included room configuration, door type, exit side of the bed, toilet placement, and the presence of IV equipment. AR trackers captured trajectories of the body as participants navigated through these AR hospital layouts, providing insights into user behavior and preferences.Results:Door type influenced the degree of backward and sideways movement, with the presence of an IV pole intensifying the interaction between door and room type, leading to increased sideways and backward motion. Participants displayed varying patterns of backward and sideways travel depending on the specific room configurations they encountered.Conclusions:AR can be an efficient and cost-effective method to modify room configurations to identify important design factors before conducting physical testing. The results of this study provide valuable insights into the effect of environmental factors on movement patterns in simulated hospital rooms. These results highlight the importance of considering environmental factors, such as the type of door and bathroom location, when designing healthcare facilities.","PeriodicalId":47306,"journal":{"name":"Herd-Health Environments Research & Design Journal","volume":"42 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140575610","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-09DOI: 10.1177/19375867241239324
Hannah-Kathrin Silja Viergutz, Laura Cambra-Rufino, Michael Apple, Abigail Heithoff, Goran Lindahl, Stefano Capolongo, Andrea Brambilla
Objective:The study aims to investigate what design practitioners and healthcare facility managers deem as important benchmarking metrics worldwide, investigating country differences in benchmarking usage and which metrics are prioritized.Background:Benchmarking is a regular practice in the healthcare sector, both for clinical and managerial aspects to compare, measure, and improve standardized processes. However, limited knowledge is available about benchmarking procedures in hospital planning, design, and construction.Methods:A web-based survey was designed, revised, and pilot-tested in five countries; it was adjusted according to local experts’ suggestions and submitted globally via SoSci multilingual platform to persons involved in hospital design, research, construction, and facility management. It was composed of closed questions on 5-point Likert-type scale ranking frequency or importance and open-ended questions divided into six sections. Two hundred and eighty full responses have been collected. Statistical analysis was performed via PowerBI and R-Studio, while qualitative analysis was performed via MAXQDA.Results:The findings reported allow for both specific insights per each country or category as well as enabling general considerations of a practice that is becoming always more international with 30%–50% of respondents working in the international context. The evaluation of the survey highlights the most important benchmarks, among others. For example, for respondents from the top five countries (Sweden, Spain, Germany, Italy, and the United States), the most important metric for benchmark comparability is whether the project was new construction, new construction attached to an existing hospital, or interior renovation. Construction date, client type (public vs. private), and country of location were also generally rated as the most important metrics by respondents. Other metrics that were consistently rated as important globally included inpatient unit layout, walking distances, number of floors, and whether all patient rooms are private. Space-related metrics are considered very important elements in the design and planning of healthcare facilities worldwide. Regarding cost-related metrics, all countries consider the ratio construction cost per building gross area as the most important.Conclusions:Benchmarking emerges as a relevant tool for hospital design and planning as it can support efficiency, standardization, and confidence; currently, benchmarking is still underutilized due to the challenge of international comparison, access to data outside each specific company, and variation design metrics nationally. Benchmarking strategies should be further investigated to support knowledge exchange and to ensure reliable and comparable information globally.
{"title":"Benchmarking Relevance for Hospital Design and Planning: An International Web-Based Survey","authors":"Hannah-Kathrin Silja Viergutz, Laura Cambra-Rufino, Michael Apple, Abigail Heithoff, Goran Lindahl, Stefano Capolongo, Andrea Brambilla","doi":"10.1177/19375867241239324","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/19375867241239324","url":null,"abstract":"Objective:The study aims to investigate what design practitioners and healthcare facility managers deem as important benchmarking metrics worldwide, investigating country differences in benchmarking usage and which metrics are prioritized.Background:Benchmarking is a regular practice in the healthcare sector, both for clinical and managerial aspects to compare, measure, and improve standardized processes. However, limited knowledge is available about benchmarking procedures in hospital planning, design, and construction.Methods:A web-based survey was designed, revised, and pilot-tested in five countries; it was adjusted according to local experts’ suggestions and submitted globally via SoSci multilingual platform to persons involved in hospital design, research, construction, and facility management. It was composed of closed questions on 5-point Likert-type scale ranking frequency or importance and open-ended questions divided into six sections. Two hundred and eighty full responses have been collected. Statistical analysis was performed via PowerBI and R-Studio, while qualitative analysis was performed via MAXQDA.Results:The findings reported allow for both specific insights per each country or category as well as enabling general considerations of a practice that is becoming always more international with 30%–50% of respondents working in the international context. The evaluation of the survey highlights the most important benchmarks, among others. For example, for respondents from the top five countries (Sweden, Spain, Germany, Italy, and the United States), the most important metric for benchmark comparability is whether the project was new construction, new construction attached to an existing hospital, or interior renovation. Construction date, client type (public vs. private), and country of location were also generally rated as the most important metrics by respondents. Other metrics that were consistently rated as important globally included inpatient unit layout, walking distances, number of floors, and whether all patient rooms are private. Space-related metrics are considered very important elements in the design and planning of healthcare facilities worldwide. Regarding cost-related metrics, all countries consider the ratio construction cost per building gross area as the most important.Conclusions:Benchmarking emerges as a relevant tool for hospital design and planning as it can support efficiency, standardization, and confidence; currently, benchmarking is still underutilized due to the challenge of international comparison, access to data outside each specific company, and variation design metrics nationally. Benchmarking strategies should be further investigated to support knowledge exchange and to ensure reliable and comparable information globally.","PeriodicalId":47306,"journal":{"name":"Herd-Health Environments Research & Design Journal","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140575611","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Aim:The purpose of this scoping review is to map the knowledge about the multisensory birthing room regarding the birth experience and birth outcomes.Background:The concept of multisensory birthing rooms is relatively novel, making it relevant to explore its impact.Methods:Five databases were searched. The search was limited to articles in English, Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish. There were no time limitations. Fourteen relevant articles were identified providing knowledge about multisensory birthing rooms.Results:Eight articles focused on birth experience, six articles focused on birth outcome, and one on the organization of the maternity care. Seven of the studies identified that sensory birthing rooms have a positive impact on the birth experience and one qualitative study could not demonstrate a better overall birth experience. Five articles described an improvement for selected birth outcomes. On the other hand, a randomized controlled trial study could not demonstrate an effect on either the use of oxytocin or birth outcomes such as pain and cesarean section. The definition and description of the concept weaken the existing studies scientifically.Conclusions:This scoping review revealed that multisensory birthing rooms have many definitions and variations in the content of the sensory exposure; therefore, it is difficult to standardize and evaluate the effect of its use. There is limited knowledge concerning the multisensory birthing room and its impact on the birth experience and the birth outcome. Multisensory birthing rooms may have a positive impact on the birth experience. Whereas there are conflicting results regarding birth outcomes.
{"title":"Healing Architecture in Birthing Rooms: A Scoping Review","authors":"Anya Eidhammer, Julie Glavind, Conni Skrubbeltrang, Dorte Melgaard","doi":"10.1177/19375867241238439","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/19375867241238439","url":null,"abstract":"Aim:The purpose of this scoping review is to map the knowledge about the multisensory birthing room regarding the birth experience and birth outcomes.Background:The concept of multisensory birthing rooms is relatively novel, making it relevant to explore its impact.Methods:Five databases were searched. The search was limited to articles in English, Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish. There were no time limitations. Fourteen relevant articles were identified providing knowledge about multisensory birthing rooms.Results:Eight articles focused on birth experience, six articles focused on birth outcome, and one on the organization of the maternity care. Seven of the studies identified that sensory birthing rooms have a positive impact on the birth experience and one qualitative study could not demonstrate a better overall birth experience. Five articles described an improvement for selected birth outcomes. On the other hand, a randomized controlled trial study could not demonstrate an effect on either the use of oxytocin or birth outcomes such as pain and cesarean section. The definition and description of the concept weaken the existing studies scientifically.Conclusions:This scoping review revealed that multisensory birthing rooms have many definitions and variations in the content of the sensory exposure; therefore, it is difficult to standardize and evaluate the effect of its use. There is limited knowledge concerning the multisensory birthing room and its impact on the birth experience and the birth outcome. Multisensory birthing rooms may have a positive impact on the birth experience. Whereas there are conflicting results regarding birth outcomes.","PeriodicalId":47306,"journal":{"name":"Herd-Health Environments Research & Design Journal","volume":"39 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140575608","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Background:Mothers need a place in public spaces where they can comfortably breastfeed and care for their babies. The availability and design features of these places are critical for meeting mothers’ safety and comfort needs while they are breastfeeding.Aim:This study was conducted to examine mothers’ experiences with breastfeeding places in public spaces.Methods:This study, which was planned as a phenomenological research, one of qualitative research designs, was conducted with mothers ( n = 18) with breastfeeding experience in public places. Data were collected through in-depth interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire developed by the researchers. The thematic analysis method was employed to evaluate the data.Results:Study findings were examined under two main themes and 12 subthemes. Getting to the breastfeeding place was actually enough for many of the participants. Women who could not breastfeed for any reason in breastfeeding places stated that they came up with some solutions, such as breastfeeding in the car, feeding with formula, and not taking the baby with them. Participants’ basic expectations about the breastfeeding place were that it met cleanliness, hygiene, privacy, and ventilation conditions.Conclusions:It was found that women who tended to spend more time in public spaces recently encountered similar problems during the breastfeeding process. Breastfeeding environments should meet minimum standards such as cleanliness and privacy as well as having the necessary comfort, aesthetics, and decoration features.
{"title":"What Should a Breastfeeding Place in Public Spaces Be Like? A Qualitative Study on Women’s Experiences","authors":"Havva Yeşildere Sağlam, Feyza Aktaş Reyhan, Elif Dağlı","doi":"10.1177/19375867241237508","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/19375867241237508","url":null,"abstract":"Background:Mothers need a place in public spaces where they can comfortably breastfeed and care for their babies. The availability and design features of these places are critical for meeting mothers’ safety and comfort needs while they are breastfeeding.Aim:This study was conducted to examine mothers’ experiences with breastfeeding places in public spaces.Methods:This study, which was planned as a phenomenological research, one of qualitative research designs, was conducted with mothers ( n = 18) with breastfeeding experience in public places. Data were collected through in-depth interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire developed by the researchers. The thematic analysis method was employed to evaluate the data.Results:Study findings were examined under two main themes and 12 subthemes. Getting to the breastfeeding place was actually enough for many of the participants. Women who could not breastfeed for any reason in breastfeeding places stated that they came up with some solutions, such as breastfeeding in the car, feeding with formula, and not taking the baby with them. Participants’ basic expectations about the breastfeeding place were that it met cleanliness, hygiene, privacy, and ventilation conditions.Conclusions:It was found that women who tended to spend more time in public spaces recently encountered similar problems during the breastfeeding process. Breastfeeding environments should meet minimum standards such as cleanliness and privacy as well as having the necessary comfort, aesthetics, and decoration features.","PeriodicalId":47306,"journal":{"name":"Herd-Health Environments Research & Design Journal","volume":"89 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140575606","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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