Nurses' perceptions of the transition to 100% single-occupancy patient rooms in a university hospital in the Netherlands: an uncontrolled before and after study.

BACKGROUND: To improve patients' privacy, comfort and infection control, newly built hospitals increasingly offer 100% single-occupancy patient rooms. Our study examines how nurses perceived the transition from a hospital with multi-bedded patient rooms to one with solely single-occupancy patient rooms designed according to principles of a healing environment. METHODS: In a single-centre, before-after survey study, nurses completed a questionnaire of 21 items in three domains: perceived patient safety and monitoring, nurses' working conditions and patient environment. Before-measurements (n = 217) were compared with two after-measurements in the new hospital, respectively after one (n = 483) and two years (n = 191). RESULTS: Nurses considered the single rooms in the new hospital worse for visibility and monitoring but this had improved somewhat after two years. In either setting, the majority perceived working conditions (walking distances and designated rest area) as unfavourable. The patient environment in the new hospital was generally perceived as much better than in the former hospital. CONCLUSION: The transition to solely single-occupancy patient rooms was largely considered positive by nurses in terms of patient environment. However, monitoring of patients and working conditions remain a concern. When designing new hospitals, attention should be paid to optimal working conditions for nurses. To improve monitoring of patients, we recommend the use of remote-sensoring.

Perspectives on Assessing the Flexibility of Hospitals for Crisis Mode Operations: Lessons From the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Netherlands.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic placed healthcare design at the heart of the crisis. Hospitals faced challenges such as rapidly increasing their intensive care unit capacity, enabling physical distancing measures, quickly converting to telehealth and telework practices, and above all, keeping patients and staff safe. Improving flexibility in hospital facility design and adaptability of hospital operations to function in "crisis mode" can be seen as ways of future-proofing for pandemics. In a design brief, flexibility is typically mentioned as an important target. Meanwhile, robustness of technical infrastructure is called for, and standardization at unit level with single-occupancy inpatient accommodation may be considered a way to enhance flexibility and adaptability in dealing with a surge in infectious patients. AIM: To future-proof facility design with pandemic preparedness and resilience in mind, this study evaluated what kinds of interventions were taken in Dutch hospital facilities and what perspectives need to be considered when hospitals operate in crisis mode. METHODS: We have collected data from facility and estate professionals from 30 Dutch hospitals. Using a practice-based approach, in-depth interviewing helped uncover and compare successful operational strategies and design elements that provided the flexibility needed in the early stages of the recent crisis. RESULTS: As we looked at existing facilities and alterations made to allow hospitals to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic, we discovered that staff availability and adaptability were deemed crucial. CONCLUSION: We add the perspective of staff as an essential factor to be considered when future-proofing hospital facility desigr crisis mode operation.

Hospitalized Patients' Sleep Quality Compared Between Multioccupancy Rooms and Single-Patient Rooms.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate patients' sleep quality in a former hospital with two-and four-bedded rooms compared to a new hospital that incorporated evidence-based design features, including exclusively single-patient rooms (SPRs). BACKGROUND: Hospitalized patients often report poor sleep quality due to both patient-related factors and hospital environmental factors. It is unclear if staying in an SPR in a hospital designed as a healing environment is associated with better sleep quality. METHODS: In a before-after study, sleep quality, duration, and efficiency over 72 hr were measured with a sleep diary, GENEActiv accelerometer, and the Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire (RCSQ) with scores ranging from 0 to 100, with higher scores reflecting better sleep. Participants were either staying alone in the former hospital with two-and four-bedded rooms (Group 1), sharing a room with one to three fellow patients (Group 2), or staying alone in a newly designed hospital with 100% SPRs (Group 3). RESULTS: We included 17 patients in Group 1, 32 patients in Group 2, and 56 patients in Group 3. Univariable linear mixed model analysis, controlling for night number, revealed that the RCSQ total score was lowest in Group 2 compared to the other two groups. In the multivariable analysis, the RCSQ score was also the lowest in Group 2, with a significant effect from covariate "use of night medication." CONCLUSION: Self-reported sleep quality of hospitalized patients in a hospital with 100% SPRs designed as a healing environment was slightly better than that of patients staying in multioccupancy rooms with fellow patients.

Effects of Newly Designed Hospital Buildings on Staff Perceptions: A Pre-Post Study to Validate Design Decisions.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigates effects of the newly built nonpatient-related buildings of a large university medical center on staff perceptions and whether the design objectives were achieved. BACKGROUND: The medical center is gradually renewing its hospital building area of 200,000 m.(2) This redevelopment is carefully planned and because lessons learned can guide design decisions of the next phase, the medical center is keen to evaluate the performance of the new buildings. METHOD: A pre- and post-study with a control group was conducted. Prior to the move to the new buildings an occupancy evaluation was carried out in the old setting (n = 729) (pre-study). Post occupation of the new buildings another occupancy evaluation (post-study) was carried out in the new setting (intervention group) and again in some old settings (control group) (n = 664). The occupancy evaluation consisted of an online survey that measured the perceived performance of different aspects of the building. Longitudinal multilevel analysis was used to compare the performance of the old buildings with the new buildings. RESULTS: Significant improvements were found in indoor climate, perceived safety, working environment, well-being, facilities, sustainability, and overall satisfaction. Commitment to the employer, working atmosphere, orientation, work performance, and knowledge sharing did not improve. The results were interpreted by relating them to specific design choices. CONCLUSION: We showed that it is possible to measure the performance improvements of a complex intervention being a new building design and validate design decisions. A focused design process aiming for a safe, pleasant and sustainable building resulted in actual improvements in some of the related performance measures.