A Structured Literature Review on the Research and Design of Rehabilitation Environments.

Aim: This literature review is conducted to identify knowledge gaps and shape a framework for the development of guidelines and future research on programming and design of rehabilitation environments.

Background: Patients suffering from trauma, stroke, neurological or cardiopulmonary conditions, or recovering from surgery or cancer treatment require rehabilitation services. A comprehensive rehabilitation program can support continuum of care for inpatient and outpatient groups.

Reimagining the NICU: a human-centered design approach to healthcare innovation.

Design charettes have been utilized in architectural and design practice to generate innovative ideas. The Reimagining Workshop is a version that combines practical and blue-sky thinking to improve healthcare facility design. The workshop engages diverse stakeholders who follow a human-centered design framework.

How Visibility May Reduce Security Issues in Community Hospitals' Emergency Departments.

Unlabelled: This research explored the relationship between visibility and the level of security risks as perceived by nurses and physicians in emergency departments (EDs). Security in EDs has been reported as a major global concern, and visibility has been identified as a design factor impacting behavior. However, few previous studies have rigorously investigated the role of visibility in reduction of ED security risks with evidence-based design approach.

Color and newborn intensive care unit design: executive summary.

Research on color in the design of healthcare settings is minimal. This paper provides an executive summary of a recent review on this topic, focusing on application to newborn intensive care units. The review focuses on the following question: Does the use of color in the design of the newborn intensive care units impact health outcomes in infants, families, and/or staff? We employed a structured review process, resulting in four studies involving the use of color in NICUs.

Color and NICU Design.

Purpose: The appropriate use of color in healthcare settings has been a topic of interest for designers and researchers, and the need for evidence-based standards evident. The purpose of this article is to summarize recent research on color as applicable to neonatal intensive care units and to propose standards for color in these settings.

Background: Research on this topic is limited due to difficulties associated with constructing research protocols, challenges in setting parameters for the independent variable (color), and the need to simultaneously address infants, families, and caregivers.

Reimagining Workshops.

Design charettes have been a mainstay in architectural and design practice. Although they are relatively common, research studies on their effectiveness and methods are rare. Recently, an approach has been introduced in the format of Reimagining Workshops (RWs), a charette characterized by both practical and blue-sky thinking, training in empathy, and multi-stakeholder input.

Time Outdoors in Nature to Improve Staff Well-Being: Examining Changes in Behaviors and Motivations Among University Staff in the Use of Natural Outdoor Environments Since the Emergence of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: Work-related stress is of growing concern to employers because of its significant implications for employee dissatisfaction, reduced productivity, and lowered emotional and physical health. Job-related stress is particularly acute among staff members in higher education, negatively impacting the professional work and personal welfare of staff. During the COVID-19 pandemic, stress levels increased, due to work- and non-work-related factors.

Using Virtual Reality to Systematically Examine Impacts of Noise and Visual Clutter on Message Elaboration and Cognitive Capacity.

This study used virtual reality to examine how environmental attributes interact with health communication to influence psychiatric help-seeking behavior, using the example of a subway station. We used a 2 × 2 factorial design crossing two noise conditions (high noise [75 dB] or low noise [30 dB]) and two visual clutter conditions (low clutter [a tidy trash can and orderly construction materials] or high clutter [scattered trash and construction materials]). We found that participants in the high (vs.

Assessing Preferences and Perceived Restorative Qualities of Break Spaces for Nurses in China.

Objective: This study investigated Chinese nurses' preferences for (a) proximity of break areas, (b) functionality of break areas, (c) amenities, and (d) nature-related environmental features.

Background: While nurses in China need support to adequately perform their jobs, little is known about how restorative spaces impact their mental and physical health.

Methods: Data were collected through interviews ( = 12), survey questionnaires ( = 88), and visual assessments ( = 88) from nurses who worked in inpatient settings in China.

The Potential Correlation Between Nature Engagement in Middle Childhood Years and College Undergraduates' Nature Engagement, Proenvironmental Attitudes, and Stress.

Introduction: Nature engagement (NE) provides myriad psychological and physiological benefits, many of which begin in childhood and continue into adulthood. Research suggests children who have positive experiences with nature are more likely to continue engaging with nature and have more proenvironmental attitudes (PEAs) as adults. Among the benefits of NE are reduced stress, improved sleep, and improved cognitive performance, all essential criteria for healthy undergraduate life.

Physical environments that support the mental health of staff and families in the NICU.

Introduction: The number of individuals suffering from mental and behavioral health disorders and the lack of access to treatment and appropriate facilities for these individuals are among the most pressing issues of our time. The purpose of this study is to describe the psychological challenges of staff and families in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), apply the outcomes of a study on mental health environments to the NICU setting, and make recommendations for the design of NICUs in support of mental health therapy and care.

Materials And Methods: This study involved the translation of a previous study in mental and behavioral health facilities to the NICU setting.

Comparative Study of the Social Interactions of Two Differently Designed Long-Term Care Facilities for Individuals With Acquired Brain Injury.

Aim: This study focused on long-term care (LTC) settings for individuals with acquired brain injury (ABI). The goals were (1) to assess the impact of facility configuration on social interactions between residents and staff and (2) obtain a better understanding of staff and resident perceptions of the built environment.

Background: A few studies have explored the relationship between the built environment and social interaction in LTC facilities, but there is little empirical data about ABI-specific LTC facilities.

Mental and behavioral health environments: critical considerations for facility design.

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to identify features in the physical environment that are believed to positively impact staff and patients in psychiatric environments and use these features as the foundation for future research regarding the design of mental and behavioral health facilities.

Methods: Pursuant to a broad literature review that produced an interview script, researchers conducted 19 interviews of psychiatric staff, facility administrators and architects. Interview data were analyzed using the highly structured qualitative data analysis process authored by Lincoln and Guba (1985).

Space Syntax Analysis: Tools for Augmenting the Precision of Healthcare Facility Spatial Analysis.

Aim: This article reviews and addresses various spatial measures that provide and facilitate accurate descriptions of different layout typologies with particular focus on healthcare facilities.

Background: Evidence-based design is a field of study that emphasizes the importance of using credible data in order to influence the design process. It addresses whether/how the design and operation of buildings support positive health outcomes through a growing collection of solutions informed by research and practical knowledge.

The Role of Daylighting in Skilled Nursing Short-Term Rehabilitation Facilities.

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the best placement of windows in short-term rehabilitation facilities in terms of daylighting and outdoor views by exploring the impact of windows on resident perception of stress, mood, activities, and satisfaction.

Background: The physiological and psychological benefits of daylighting have made it an increasingly important topic in multidisciplinary research. Although multiple studies have been written about the impact of daylight on physiological responses, few investigations have been made into the nonvisual effects related to resident mood, satisfaction, and stress level.

Positive distraction and the rehabilitation hospitals of joão filgueiras lima.

Objective: This article discusses the use of positive distraction, an evidence-based design approach, in rehabilitation hospitals in Brazil through the work of João Filgueiras Lima ("Lelé").

Background: In many parts of the world architects may not formally incorporate theories of positive distraction and evidence-based design, but there are multiple international examples of health facility architects and designers that use nature, daylighting, art, and social interaction to enhance the healing experience. The work of the Brazilian architect João Filgueiras Lima is a particularly salient example.

Design research and the globalization of healthcare environments.

Objective: Global healthcare practice has expanded in the past 20 years. At the same time the incorporation of research into the design process has gained prominence as a best practice among architects. The authors of this study investigated the status of design research in a variety of international settings.

The impact of windows and daylight on acute-care nurses' physiological, psychological, and behavioral health.

Objective: To investigate the physiological and psychological effects of windows and daylight on registered nurses.

Background: To date, evidence has indicated that appropriate environmental lighting with characteristics similar to natural light can improve mood, alertness, and performance. The restorative effects of windows also have been documented.

Rethinking efficiency in acute care nursing units: analyzing nursing unit layouts for improved spatial flow.

Objective: This paper introduces a new design tool to increase efficiency in acute care settings. This visual tool facilitates matching spatial flow with caregivers' workflow to reduce waste and redundancies, as recommended by Lean thinking. Providing work environments that protect caregivers from fatigue, interruptions, and redundancies can contribute to quality patient care.

Target value design: applications to newborn intensive care units.

There is a need for greater understanding of the health impact of various design elements in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) as well as cost-benefit information to make informed decisions about the long-term value of design decisions. This is particularly evident when design teams are considering the transition from open-bay NICUs to single-family-room (SFR) units. This paper introduces the guiding principles behind target value design (TVD)-a price-led design methodology that is gaining acceptance in healthcare facility design within the Lean construction methodology.

The impact of daylight and views on ICU patients and staff.

Objective: Using a pre-test/post-test quasi-experimental study in two New Hampshire ICUs, the impact of daylight and window views on patient pain levels, length of stay, staff errors, absenteeism, and vacancy rates were examined. One ICU was operational until 2007, the second opened in 2007. ICU patients were randomly selected from cardiac surgery, pneumonia, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease admissions of one or more days, 58 from the old ICU, and 52 from the new.