Healthcare Design - April 2023 - 45

the center
ADVERTISERS' INDEX
SOLID FOUNDATION
AECOM ...................................................27
Arcadia/Encore Seating ..............................23
Armstrong Ceilings .......................................8
Carolina .....................................................1
Center for Health Design..............................36
Enduratex ..................................................13
EFA Conference + Expo...............................35
Ewing Cole ...............................................33
HCD Conference + Expo .............................40
HealthPoint ...............................................34
Kwalu ..................................................... C2
La-Z-Boy Healthcare | Knú Comfort ............... C4
Mayer Fabrics ...........................................19
Moduform ...................................................5
modularArts ...............................................18
Momentum ............................................... C3
Nassimi ....................................................25
NeoCon ...................................................47
Paladin Healthcare .....................................33
Pineapple Contracts ....................................14
RFID .........................................................43
Shaw Contract .............................................2
Sherwin-Williams .........................................7
Stance Healthcare ......................................17
Ultrafabrics ................................................31
The index to advertiser page numbers is published for
reader convenience. Every effort is made to list page
numbers correctly. The listing is not part of the advertising
contract and the publisher is not responsible for errors or
omissions.
More healthcare design research is needed to
continue to raise the bar on building performance
By Debra Levin
T
HIS INDUSTRY IS based on
the cornerstone tenet that
the design of healthcare facilities
directly impacts patient
outcomes, safety, and staff
productivity. Research has
been essential in connecting
these dots and is at the core
of the evidence-based design movement.
Research helps to ensure buildings meet
the needs of patients, families, and staff-for
example, addressing physical requirements,
such as accessibility, but also emotional and
psychological needs. Healthcare facilities
incorporating research-backed design strategies
have seen many benefits, including
improved patient satisfaction scores and reduced
lengths of stay.
Growing this body of research is critical to continually
raising the bar on building performance.
In fact, compared to other industries, research
into healthcare facility design is still in its infancy
due to various challenges.
Unlike many building design types, healthcare
facilities deal with a host of privacy issues and
access to sensitive data that systems are often
hesitant to share. The kind of work that happens
in healthcare settings also makes field work
more challenging. Lastly, finding the funding
and internal staff support to conduct research
continues to be a challenge, as once a healthcare
building goes into use, it's fully enmeshed in the
business of providing care.
More research is needed to build a solid foundation
of knowledge in this field. A larger body
of quality research could also allow for comparison
and analysis of different design solutions, as
we saw with studies on single- versus doublebedded
hospital rooms, and help to identify best
practices in the field.
Too frequently, even when design teams intend
to conduct post-occupancy research, the funding
and staffing challenges mentioned previously
prevent research projects from moving forward.
As an industry, we need to work on solving this,
potentially through innovative partnerships
with universities and government funders.
Developing a more extensive database of
research citations would provide architects,
engineers, and healthcare providers with the
information they need to make informed decisions
and help advance the field of healthcare
facility design.
Health Environments Research & Design
(HERD), a peer-reviewed journal incubated at
The Center for Health Design and published by
SAGE Publishing, is our industry's primary repository
for research on health environments.
It features research and methodology papers,
theory articles, case studies, and book reviews focused
on the effects of health environments and
design on patient, provider, and organizational
outcomes. It has grown in scope and size alongside
the growth of the healthcare design market
and is accepting submissions year-round.
You can contribute to growing this body of
knowledge and preview new research before it's
published by signing up to be a HERD reviewer.
For more information, visit healthdesign.org.
Ultimately, industry-wide investments in research
will create healthcare facilities that promote
healing, reduce stress, and enhance patient
care, leading to improved patient outcomes and
a better healthcare system for everyone. 
Debra Levin is president and CEO of The Center
for Health Design. She can be reached at DLEVIN@
HEALTHDESIGN.ORG .
APRIL 2023
45
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Healthcare Design - April 2023

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