Dochitect
Menu
  • Home
  • Dochitect Bio
  • The Physician-Architect Model
  • Articles & Publications
  • Presentations
  • In the News
  • Contact

Using evidence based design to produce healthier hospital buildings

September 14, 2013 / Dochitect / Evidence-Based Design

Peer-Reviewed Publications

Publication: British Medical Journal (BMJ) Careers
Publication Date: September 14, 2013
Authors: D. Kirk Hamilton, BArch, MSOD; Diana C. Anderson, MD, MArch
View article

2013_BMJ COVER

Excerpt: Evidence about how architecture affects staff and patients is increasingly influencing the hospital design. Diana Anderson, a qualified architect and hospital doctor and Kirk Hamilton, an architect now working in academia after 30 years of practice, provide an international perspective on the issues involved.

Diana Anderson describes the personal experiences of poor hospital design:

I am a resident physician, and a large part of my hesitation in pursuing advanced clinical training was because of what I considered an intolerable hospital setting. Staff facilities are frequently without windows or art, and I have found myself desperately anticipating the first ray of sunlight after a long shift. Working in environments with constant noise from ventilator and infusion alarms, floor polishers, telephones, pagers, and staff discussions creates an ongoing battle to work effectively, or to hold private, often life changing discussions with patients.

During my initial time working in hospitals I often wondered whether anyone asked the clinicians about their opinions on the design and function of their work environments, and whether it has been recognised that the characteristics of the physical environment can enhance or hinder productivity, and can reduce the stress associated with our work and the condition of our patients. On my obstetrics rotation as a medical student the call rooms were located several floors above the labour and delivery unit, meaning we often missed deliveries, and so we learnt not to use the suite, and we slept in chairs closer to our patients. On patient units that did not provide space for respite, I found myself retreating to the supply rooms to gain composure during overwhelming moments. As a physician, a licensed architect, and a patient, I believe that many planned spaces are ill suited to their actual use.

Click here to view the full article on evidence-based design and healthier hospital buildings.

Peer-Reviewed Publications

A Book from Dochitect

The Dochitect’s Journal: A collection of writings on the intersection of Medicine and Architecture

Find out more here.

Search

Recent Articles/Publications

  • The Bioethics of Built Space: Health Care Architecture as a Medical Intervention

    May 1, 2022
  • Architecture and Bioethics: A new value proposition for health care facility designers

    February 5, 2022
  • No Place Like Home: As the pandemic proved, long-term care homes are a health hazard

    September 1, 2021

Recent Presentations

  • RAIC 2022 Keynote: Architectural Design as a Determinant of Heath

    June 8, 2022
  • Ethical Obligations at their Nexus with Built Space

    February 25, 2022
  • FXCollaborative Architecture 5 10 20 Podcast Episode 2 with Diana Anderson the “dochitect”

    February 15, 2022

Publication Type

  • Blog Post
  • Book
  • Book Chapter
  • Book Review
  • Commentaries
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Peer-Reviewed Design Guidelines
  • Peer-Reviewed Publications

Presentation Type

  • Conference Presentations
  • Keynote Presentations
  • Lectures
  • Panel Discussions
  • Podcasts
  • Webinars

Design Topics

  • Commentaries & Event Reviews
  • Design for Clinical Staff
  • Design for Critical Care
  • Design for Geriatrics
  • Design for Infection Control
  • Design for Palliative Care
  • Design for Patient Safety
  • Design for Resiliency
  • Design for the Future of Health
  • Dochitect in the News
  • Evidence-Based Design
  • Health Design & Ethics
  • The Physician-Architect Model

Archives

Follow Dochitect

Follow me on:

** ©2022 Dochitect :: Site by KPFdigital :: Admin Login