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Title:

Relating Health Care Environment Design to Health Quality Outcomes: Post Occupancy Evaluation of the Ward of the 21st Century

Principal Investigator:

Esther Suter PhD, MSW

Research and Evaluation Consultant, Health Systems & Workforce Research Unit, Calgary Health Region

Funding Source: Health Quality Council of Alberta

Presentations/Publications/Updates:

Final Report and Executive Summary

Study Newsletters August 2006; March 2007

May 2008, S. Friesen, Poster at the W21C Research Retreat, Univ. of Calgary

February 2008, S. Friesen Presentation at the W21C Seminar Series, FMC

February 2008, S. Friesen Presentation at Interprofessional Rounds, FMC

Objectives:

The purpose of the study is to examine the Ward of the 21st Century (W21C) renovation project to better understand the outcomes related to the design of the W21C and to assist the development of a health care design evaluation approach.

Background:

Post occupancy evaluation (POE) is a common term used in architecture that describes a process of examining the functional performance of the built environment. POEs provide an opportunity to examine how environmental design solutions work. POE methodology rigorously explores the perceptions of those that occupy a physical space and carefully considers the intended design.

Methods:

For the W21C, a POE was conducted in two phases. The first phase explored and described the design of the W21C and identified any high priority issues impacting staff satisfaction. The second phase focused on evaluating the overall functional performance of the design. Data collection across both phases included: document review, surveys, key informant interviews (design team/occupants), direct observations and secondary data analysis (i.e. administrative data).

Results:

· Five performance indicators captured aspects of the built environment that impacted the safety, effectiveness and efficiency of the W21C; Resources, Maintainability, Flexibility, Privacy and Communication

· Through the process of identifying and developing design performance indicators we were able to document interrelationships between design elements and how these reflect an intended vision for the design.

· The POE has also highlighted that the design process contributed to the success of the implemented physical design.

Implications/Recommendations:

· Attention needs to be paid to supports strong leadership that creates and implements environmental design goals both during and after major design projects (e.g., facility renovation or construction)

· Evaluation processes need to be discussed early on to support decisions throughout the design process and to help generate information useful in exploring outcomes of design (e.g., careful documentation of decision processes, design intents and context).

· Evaluating physical design performance needs to consider multiple perspectives (e.g., patient, clinical staff, facility management, etc.) when interpreting the interrelationship between elements that contribute to the built environment

Project Team and Partners:

Co-Investigators: Steven Friesen, Debbie White, Ron Wardell, Janice Cullen, Kathryn Gowling, Barry Baylis, Salvador Ibarra and Nora Shea,

Project Coordinators/Analysts: Lana Trojan and Steven Friesen

University of Calgary Faculty of Nursing

Ward of the 21^st Century

Alberta Cancer Board

University of Calgary, Faculty of Environmental Design

Time Frame: This study was funded from March 2006 to March 2008

Relevant links:

Health Quality Council of Alberta

Ward of the 21^st Century

Contact Information: