A Qualitative Study of Hospital Interior Environments during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Human beings have encountered different infectious diseases. However, there is not much validated data available on the physical environments of hospitals when responding to highly contagious viruses, such as COVID-19. This study was conducted to assess the physical environments of hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. There exists a need to analyze whether the physical environments of hospitals were conducive or obstructive to medical practice during the pandemic. A total of forty-six staff working in intensive care units, progressive care units, and emergency rooms were invited to participate in a semi-structured interview. Out of this group, fifteen staff members participated in the interview. They were asked to list the changes made to the hospital's physical environment during the pandemic, which included equipping the hospital environment for medical practice and protecting staff from becoming infected. They were also asked about desirable improvements that they believe could increase their productivity and ensure safety. The results indicated the difficulty in isolating COVID-19 patients and converting a single occupancy room into a double occupancy room. Isolating COVID-19 patients made it easier for staff to care for the patients, but it made them feel isolated and at the same time increased the walking distance. Signs indicating a COVID area helped them to prepare for medical practices ahead of time. Glass doors provided greater visibility and enabled them to monitor the patients. However, the dividers installed at nursing stations were obstructive. This study suggests that further research should be conducted once the pandemic is over.

Supportive or Hindering Physical Environments in Hospital Units Dealing With COVID-19 Patients.

PURPOSE: This project was designed to discover how hospital units with COVID-19 patients influenced staff's medical practices and health conditions. BACKGROUND: Although hospital environments have well-known associations with health outcomes, findings are limited in demonstrating the role of physical environments during a global pandemic. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey study was conducted from three units in a university hospital and a total of 113 staff participated. They rated the impact of physical environments on staff members' medical practice and their health conditions before and mid-pandemic. They also specified physical changes, hindering and helpful features, and future improvements in open-ended questions. RESULTS: The perceived supportiveness of the physical environments on communication significantly dropped from before-pandemic to midpandemic, followed by mental health and feeling of connection and engagement. Separating COVID-19 patients helped staff workflow, but staff felt disconnected and had poor visibility. CONCLUSION: Based on painful lessons, interdisciplinary researchers, including healthcare professionals, designers, and administrators, should further collaborate to create supportive hospital environments.