title: Implications of design on infection prevention and control practice in a novel hospital unit: the Medical Ward of the 21st Century.
abstract: The physical design of hospital wards is associated with transmission of pathogenic organisms and hospital-acquired infections. A novel hospital unit, the Medical Ward of the 21st Century (W21C), optimizes features for infection prevention and control practices. Ethnographic research on the W21C versus conventional hospital wards examined the experiential and behavioural elements of the different designs. Three recurring themes emerged regarding the design features on the W21C and included visual cues, 'having a place for things', and less sharing of spaces and materials. Observational data of healthcare worker practices demonstrated significantly higher compliance with hand hygiene opportunities on the W21C compared with older hospital units. These findings suggest how the physical design of a hospital ward may enhance infection prevention and control practices.
authors.affiliation: a School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University , Tempe , Arizona , USA.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: VanSteelandt
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Conly
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ghali
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mather
mesh_terms: D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control; D063373:Hand Hygiene / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006749:Hospital Design and Construction / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D006757:Hospital Units; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: W21C; hand hygiene; hospital design; infection prevention and control; visual cues