The concept of patient safety in healthcare has been recognized at a global level more recently by World Health Organization. The term “medical error” was introduced to describe this phenomenon and it became widely adopted by policy makers, researchers, clinicians, patients’ groups and media. Other terms to describe safety failures in healthcare are incidents, adverse events, serious untoward incidents, near miss and close call also came into common usage.

Patient Safety is defined as “A framework of organized activities that creates cultures, processes, procedures, behaviors, technologies and environments in health care that consistently and sustainably lower risks, reduce the occurrence of avoidable harm, make errors less likely and reduce the impact of harm when it does occur.”

 Patient safety is always a top concern of hospital management and for good reason. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality estimates that between 700,000 and 1,000,000 people fall in hospitals in the United States every year. The agency reports that patients are more likely to slip and fall if the room is poorly designed. You can reduce injury rates and other accidents at your hospital by doing the following:

• Include handrails, smooth flooring finishes, and supportive furniture in your design: Although handrails are required in hospital units, copper-coated handrails installed along corridors can reduce the spread of disease and help patients navigate a space safely. Seamless vinyl flooring, which is smoother, more durable, and easier to disinfect than rubber flooring, can help prevent falls. Sturdy chairs with locking wheels offer extra support for patients, helping them to stand or move around the room without the help of a wheelchair.

• Trips and falls: According to the Joint Commission hundreds of thousands of patients fall in the hospital with 30-50 percent resulting in injury and increased hospital stays. The patient bathroom is a high-risk environment. Layouts that provide curbless showers, that effectively manage water, and provide continuous railings can provide a safer environment for patients.

• Efficiency and Visibility: 

Nursing unit design is often configured as a racetrack in which patient rooms surround a nursing station with support hub functions. This layout provides support functions and observation removed from patients. Instead, consider implementing a more patient-centric floor plan. For example, multiple support hubs along a main corridor with small nursing stations within 60 feet of them and of patient rooms should be installed. This makes it easier for staff to observe and attend to patients and allows easy access to the resources needed to treat patients. With the advent of new handheld technologies, nurses don’t need to be tethered to the traditional large, noisy and removed station. Decentralized cockpit hubs located immediately outside the patient room provide care where it’s needed – with the patient.

• Use technology and security checkpoints to track patients: 

Technology plays a large role in promoting patient safety. For example, obstetric delivery units, neonatal intensive care units and hospital nurseries are increasingly being required to use electronic bracelet security systems that alert staff when an infant has been moved from the unit. These systems also support secure checkpoints at the entrance of these baby sensitive units to ensure that non-permitted staff and visitors do not gain access and that no infant leaves the facility without the knowledge and permission of medical professionals.

• Design for mobile workstations: 

Creating pathways and spaces in patient rooms for mobile workstations on wheels (WOW’s) will make it easier for your staff to treat patients with all they need to know in-hand. WOW’s give staff on-the-go access to every patient medical record. Designing them into the room eliminates hazards in hallways to navigate around.

• Patient lifts: Investments in overhead lifts coupled with a dedicated hospital “lift team” may pay for themselves sooner than you’d think. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), nearly 50 percent of all nurse and nurse support staff injuries and illnesses were musculoskeletal disorders. Many hospitals that have incorporated them in patient rooms have recouped their investments within a short duration of time, maintained staff retention and created a safer environment for staff and patients by minimizing lift injuries.

In a hospital setting, two types of failures lead to an unsafe environment for patients: active failures and latent failures. An active failure is a human error—a mistake made by staff when interacting directly with patients. This usually stems from a violation of procedure. A latent failure, on the other hand, is a flaw in the procedure itself or in the building’s design that results in an accident or injury.

You can prevent latent failures in your hospital by improving the layout, especially of patient rooms. This, in turn, may also prevent active failures, as your staff will move more effectively through the space and will be more likely to follow procedures.

How to Design a Safer Hospital

Promoting patient safety through thoughtful hospital design requires careful planning and evidence-based design research, which is why you should partner with a knowledgeable design firm to help you succeed. At Mishkat Sante, we have a great deal of experience designing safe and secure hospitals and medical centers. We base all of our design principles on reliable evidence, input from healthcare professionals, and our wealth of experience in designing hospitals–selecting only the most effective design layouts to meet the population health needs of your community.

Our design team understands how to create a safe hospital environment for patients and staff and can offer you insight into the best design practices for your project and patient population. If you’re ready to learn more about promoting patient safety Or, if you have other questions related to medical building and hospital architecture design and planning, Kindly contact Mishkat Sante today, email us on admin@mishkat.org.pk or call 0923394017634.