The Challenges and Opportunities of Designing Safe Health Care Facilities

Publication Date:

Publisher:

Author(s): Roger. Ulrich; Paul. Barach

Research Area: Health

Type: Report

Abstract:

Despite the United States' huge expenditure on health care and the increased availability of technological resources, today's hospital care frequently misses the cardinal rule of medicine— "above all else, do no harm." Although the environment in which patients are treated significantly impacts health and safety, patient safety and treatment quality has not been factored into the design of many hospital buildings.
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Little assessment has been conducted on how the building environment affects patient outcomes. Studies have focused primarily on the effects of light, color, views and noise. Yet many more factors in facility planning can influence the safety and quality of care, including the path and frequency of patient movement, patient visibility to staff, patient room configuration, details of design, and standardization.
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Given that the number of U.S. hospital buildings is increasing rapidly, the following paper recommends creating clear, evidence-based and scientific guidelines to ensure the design of safe and effective health care facilities.