AHRQ-funded supplement on health facility design and HAI prevention

AHRQ-funded supplement on health facility design and HAI prevention

AHRQ-funded supplement on health facility design and HAI prevention

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) sent this bulletin at 01/16/2014 08:37 AM EST

AHRQ-funded supplement looks at links between health facility design and HAI prevention

The design of a health care facility can impact how safely and efficiently health care is provided, according to several papers in a special supplement to the Health Environments Research & Design Journal (HERD). The supplement offers an in-depth look at how the built environment, which includes such things as the location or number of hand washing stations, affects healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Articles in the supplement are based on findings from an AHRQ-funded research project that was conducted by a multidisciplinary team of clinicians and design experts from RTI, Emory University, Georgia Tech, and AHRQ. Along with a commentary by former AHRQ Director Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D., the supplement includes a literature review, an industry scan that includes feedback from experts in the field, and a conceptual framework that illustrates the linkages between design elements and HAI prevention. The journal supplement is open access and available at:

http://digimags.vendomegrp.com/html/HERD-Supplement/.