ECRI Institute’s 2016 Health Technology Hazards list includes items that could be somewhat alleviated by space design.
For example, number four, “Inadequate surveillance of monitored patients in a telemetry setting,” might be improved with better positioning of staff stations relative to patient rooms to encourage more consistent monitoring. Number two, “Missed alarms,” due to so-called alarm fatigue, could likewise be remediated with optimal floor configurations.
Designers should also take other hazards on the list into account. For instance, the number one issue, “Inadequate cleaning of flexible endoscopes,” could impact the location of and number of areas dedicated to cleaning this equipment.
Other hazards include “Misuse of USB ports,” pertaining to using unauthorized devices and plugging them into USB ports on medical equipment, and “Insufficient training on operating room (OR) technologies.”
Related Stories
Healthcare Facilities | Jun 29, 2017
Uniting healthcare and community
Out of the many insights that night, everyone agreed that the healthcare industry is ripe for disruption and that communities contribute immensely to our health and wellness.
Industry Research | Jun 27, 2017
What does the client really want?
In order to deliver superior outcomes to our healthcare clients, we have to know what our clients want.
Building Team Awards | Jun 8, 2017
Quick turnaround: Partners HealthCare
Silver Award: A 2½-year project brings Partners HealthCare’s sprawling administrative functions under one roof.
| May 30, 2017
Accelerate Live! talk: Health-generating buildings, Marcene Kinney, Angela Mazzi, GBBN Architects
Architects Marcene Kinney and Angela Mazzi share design hacks pinpointing specific aspects of the built environment that affect behavior, well-being, and performance.
| May 24, 2017
Accelerate Live! talk: Learning from Silicon Valley - Using SaaS to automate AEC, Sean Parham, Aditazz
Sean Parham shares how Aditazz is shaking up the traditional design and construction approaches by applying lessons from the tech world.
Healthcare Facilities | May 16, 2017
University of Pennsylvania’s new $1.5 billion hospital is being built with the future in mind
The Pavilion broke ground on May 3.
Healthcare Facilities | May 4, 2017
Mortenson provides details about its first building in Minnesota’s ambitious Destination Medical Center development
One district alone could add two million sf of commercial and residential space to Downtown Rochester.
Healthcare Facilities | May 1, 2017
Designing patient rooms for the entire family can improve patient satisfaction and outcomes
Hospital rooms are often not designed to accommodate extended stays for anyone other than the patient, which can have negative effects on patient outcome.
Healthcare Facilities | Apr 28, 2017
Can healthcare be retail?
Healthcare systems have much to learn from retail. While they have been laser-focused on delivering exceptional patient care on their primary campuses, they face an onslaught of new challenges as they embrace a retail strategy to expand outpatient services and their ambulatory network.
Healthcare Facilities | Apr 24, 2017
Treating the whole person: Designing modern mental health facilities
Mental health issues no longer carry the stigma that they once did. Awareness campaigns and new research have helped bring our understanding of the brain—and how to design for its heath—into the 21st century.