The effects of physical environments in medical wards on medication communication processes affecting patient safety.
Physical environments of clinical settings play an important role in health communication processes. Effective medication management requires seamless communication among health professionals of different disciplines. This paper explores how physical environments affect communication processes for managing medications and patient safety in acute care hospital settings. Findings highlighted the impact of environmental interruptions on communication processes about medications. In response to frequent interruptions and limited space within working environments, nurses, doctors and pharmacists developed adaptive practices in the local clinical context. Communication difficulties were associated with the ward physical layout, the controlled drug key and the medication retrieving device. Health professionals should be provided with opportunities to discuss the effects of ward environments on medication communication processes and how this impacts medication safety. Hospital administrators and architects need to consider health professionals' views and experiences when designing hospital spaces.
Emergency Department, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Grattan Street, Parkville, Victoria 3050, Australia; Department of Nursing, The University of Melbourne, Level 6, Alan Gilbert Building, 161 Barry Street, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia. Electronic address: wei.liu10@gmail.com.
Wei
W
Liu
Department of Nursing, The University of Melbourne, Level 6, Alan Gilbert Building, 161 Barry Street, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia; Department of Medicine, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Grattan Street, Parkville, Victoria 3050, Australia.
Elizabeth
E
Manias
Emergency Department, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Grattan Street, Parkville, Victoria 3050, Australia; Department of Nursing, The University of Melbourne, Level 6, Alan Gilbert Building, 161 Barry Street, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
Marie
M
Gerdtz
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003142:Communication; D006801:Humans; D007374:Interior Design and Furnishings; D054539:Medication Therapy Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital; D061214:Patient Safety
Communication; Medication management; Physical environments; Space