Funding for this seminar was made possible (in part) by grant 1R13HS020322-01A1 from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The views expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. government. We would also like to acknowledge the Facilities Guidelines Institute for its financial and intellectual support for this project.
Project Dates 7/01/2011 – 2/29/2012
Project Officer William Freeman
Grant Award Number 1R13HS020322-01A1
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Designing for Patient Safety: Developing Methods to Integrate Patient Safety Concerns in the Design Process
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Designing for Patient Safety: Developing Methods to Integrate Patient Safety Concerns in the Design Process
Abstract
Purpose
The project aimed to develop consensus around important patient safety issues
to be considered during various stages in the healthcare design process and to
identify key activities, methodologies, and tools for improving facility design in
terms of patient safety.
Scope
There is an urgent need for a strong methodology to identify and eliminate built
environment latent conditions that impact patient safety during the planning,
design, and construction of healthcare facilities. The project focused on developing
the processes, tools, and approaches by which safe design features could be
incorporated into building designs.
Methods
Resources and background materials for the seminar were developed by (1)
reviewing literature for design tools/approaches and a framework for tool evaluation,
(2) compiling opinion papers by industry and academic experts, and (3) developing
a safe design roadmap for healthcare administrators. About 70 individuals with
diverse backgrounds attended the 2-day seminar, which involved presentations
and discussions in different formats—presentations, panel discussions, tours, and
workgroups. After the seminar, the notes were analyzed and synthesized, and a
survey was conducted to gain attendees’ feedback.
Results
One of the key findings from the seminar was that it is critical to focus on patient
safety issues during the predesign phase of a healthcare facility building project.
This affects all key decisions made downstream in the project. Seminar attendees
identified high-priority design activities for patient safety: articulation of project
mission/vision, operational/future state planning, simulation, process-led design,
measurable goals/metrics, ongoing check-ins, post-occupancy evaluation, and
safety reviews. Highly rated design tools included simulation, process analysis, link
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Abstract V
Designing for Patient Safety: Developing Methods to Integrate Patient Safety Concerns in the Design Process
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analysis, balanced scorecard, failure modes and effects analysis, and others. Most
attendees viewed the seminar as highly valuable and effective.
Keywords
Healthcare design process, patient safety, safe design tool, design activity.
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Designing for Patient Safety: Developing Methods to Integrate Patient Safety Concerns in the Design Process
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Designing for Patient Safety: Developing Methods to Integrate Patient Safety Concerns in the Design Process
Executive Summary
Purpose
The project aimed to develop a strong foundation for integrating patient safety
considerations into the facility design process by organizing a national seminar
attended by multidisciplinary stakeholders. Specific goals included: to develop