A Conceptual Framework for the Domain of Evidence-Based Design

Abstract

The physical facilities in which healthcare services are performed play an important role in the healing process. Evidence-based design in healthcare is a developing field of study that holds great promise for benefiting key stakeholders: patients, families, physicians, and nurses, as well as other healthcare staff and organizations. In this paper, the authors present and discuss a conceptual framework intended to capture the current domain of evidence-based design in healthcare. In this framework, the built environment is represented by nine design variable categories: audio environment, visual environment, safety enhancement, wayfinding system, sustainability, patient room, family support spaces, staff support spaces, and physician support spaces. Furthermore, a series of matrices is presented that indicates knowledge gaps concerning the relationship between specific healthcare facility design variable categories and participant and organizational outcomes. From this analysis, the authors identify fertile research opportunities from the perspectives of key stakeholders.

Healing built-environment effects on health outcomes: environment–occupant–health framework

“…Elf, Nordin, Wijk, & McKee, 2017;Codinhoto, Tzortzopoulos, Kagioglou, Aouad, & Cooper, 2009;Ulrich, Berry, Quan, & Parish, 2010;Durmisevic & Ciftcioglu, 2010;Haq & Luo, 2012;Rashid, 2015). The purpose of these models is varied and influenced by diverse disciplinary foundations.…”

“…Outcome measures in HBE studies are usually categorized according to a specific group of users: patients, family, non-physician staff, physicians and the organization (Huisman et al, 2012;Schweitzer, Gilpin, & Frampton, 2004;Ulrich et al, 2010). The majority of extant empirical studies have focused on patient outcomes.…”

The influence of hospitable design and service on patient responses

“…In the healthcare environment, the role of atmospherics on patient satisfaction has been documented (Malenbaum, Keefe, Williams, Ulrich, & Somers, 2008;McCaul & Malott, 1984;R. S. Ulrich, Berry, Quan, & Parish, 2010; R. S. Ulrich, Lundén, & Eltinge, 1993;R Ulrich & Gilpin, 2003;Roger Ulrich, 1984).…”

The Application of Salutogenesis in Hospitals

“…Light was, for example, found to make a difference on mortality after myocardial infarction (compare the study "dying in the dark" (Beauchemin & Hays, 1998)). A summary of the salutogenic effects of healthcare design (although without explicitly referring to salutogenesis) can be found in Ulrich, Berry, Quan, and Parish (2010).…”

“…Additional papers on effects of the hospital setting that were identified by freehand search include a synthesis of the evidence of effects of healthcare design on health (Ulrich et al, 2010). Findings suggest that design is a relevant resource for salutogenic processes.…”