Lessons learned: clinicians' post-occupancy perspective of facility design involvement.

OBJECTIVE: The research was conducted to determine clinician knowledge needs for competent involvement with the facility design process as well as to gather lessons learned on building stronger design teams. BACKGROUND: As clinical stakeholders are invited to the healthcare facility design table, the question arises as to the ability of professionally diverse team members to translate each other's comments and ideas accurately. In the past, hospitals were designed by a handful of hospital leaders and architects. More recently, multiple players have become involved throughout the design and construction of new healthcare facilities. Clinical consultants from two international healthcare companies observed that many clinicians were unprepared to effectively translate their needs to the architectural community or to competently utilize architectural tools and documents. METHODS: A qualitative, post-occupancy cross-case study was conducted to understand how clinicians could increase their competencies for successful involvement in facility design. Focus group interviews were held with teams from healthcare facilities occupying their new facility for more than 6 months and less than 2 years. RESULTS: Curriculum topics were validated and additional areas recommended based on the interviews. Open-ended questioins on lessons learned provided several new dimensions to the research. CONCLUSIONS: Although validating the curriculum was the initial intent, the feedback from the focus groups on lessons learned provided rich concepts for practice implications and further research on post-occupancy. KEYWORDS: Decision-making, design process, interdisciplinary, planning, post-occupancy.

Creating healing intensive care unit environments: physical and psychological considerations in designing critical care areas.

A number of elements contribute to a healing ICU environment. The layout of a critical care unit helps create an environment that supports caregiving, which helps alleviate a host of work-related stresses. A quieter environment, one that includes family and friends, dotted with windows and natural light, creates a space that makes people feel balanced and reassured. A healing environment responds to the needs of all the people within a critical care unit-those who receive or give care and those who support patients and staff. Critical care units should be designed to focus on healing the body, the mind, and the senses. The design and policies of that department can be created in such a way to provide a sense of calm and balance. The physical environment has an impact on patient outcomes; the psychological environment can, too. A healing ICU environment will balance both. The authors discuss the ways in which architecture, interior design, and behavior contribute to a healing ICU environment.