Patient Safety By Design

Medical News Today has posted an article about the efforts of some hospitals to reduce errors through “innovative” facility designs.

The Wall Street Journal on Monday examined how some hospitals are “factoring hospital layout and design into the patient-safety equation” in their efforts to reduce medical errors. At least 35 health organizations are building new facilities with architectural and design features aimed at improving patient safety, according to the Center for Health Design.

For example, safety features at St. Joseph’s Hospital in West Bend, Wis., include ultraviolet lights that kill germs and improve airflow, computers for nurses to order medications or enter medical data, and standardized control panels with oxygen and gas outlets.

Administrators at larger hospitals also have adapted similar design features. For instance, HCA, which runs more than 180 facilities, will no longer use vinyl coverings on exterior walls because the material can attract mold. At St. Joseph’s, the new facility has been beneficial “on both safety and financial fronts,” the Journal reports.

Any effort to reduce the risks of hospitalizations is welcome. Too many hospital patients are being injured or experiencing a worsened medical condition through improper care.