The Impact of Facility Design on Patient Safety

Introduction

Patient safety has been a major area of concern in most health facilities. The actual architectural design of the hospital facility, including its equipment and technology are critical for patient health. The safety of the patient is crucial if a health centre intends to fulfill its objectives. It is for this reason that we expect to carry out research on the impact of facility design on the safety of the patient at the Vanderbilt Hospital. Just like any other health facility, the organization intends to serve its clients with diligence and has great concern for the safety of the patient (Vincent, 2010).  It is for this reason that this research is essential for the development of the hospital. It is imperative for the management of any business to understand the technological development and its multiple outcomes in the daily operations of the organizations.

Research question

Different scholars and schools of thoughts have made conclusions about increased efficiency and productivity where there are practical designs and technological levels. Over the years, improved facility design, equipment and technology have been critical for increased patient safety in hospitals. While sophisticated technologies have been adopted in other sectors, the same have not been employed in the health department. The research aims to unearth the relationship between advance in technology and equipment in a health facility and the patients’ safety. The issue of the desired level of facility design and the patient safety has not been adequately addressed.  The facility design of the hospital, with its equipment and technology, has not historically considered the impact on the quality and safety of patients, despite billions of dollars are and will be invested annually in Vanderbilt Hospital. In essence the research process aims at identifying the impact of facility design on the safety of the patient.

Importance of the project

This research is very critical for current and future use and not only in the Vanderbilt hospital but also in the health sector at large. It is worth noting that health facilities are a fundamental requirement for the development of the economy. The safety of patients remains a paramount for any successful health facility. Equipment and technology used in such health centers are very expensive thus making it essential for us to understand the significance and role played by such massive investment (Kavaler & Alexander, 2014). The research aims at sensitizing the health department on the importance of the state of the art technology to the safety of the patient.  It is also worth noting that the research will be concerned with how the said design and technology enhance the safety of patients. There will also be recommendations on the desired number and quality of employees that the hospital require for increased efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery.

The research process intends to provide an environment conducive for nurses and other caregivers in a health center. It is worth noting that improved technology and equipment in a health facility are critical to the safety of patients. The safety of patients is compromised by the human error which can be eliminated by increased use technology and equipment in the process. Though humans do not always err, it is important for the health sector to put control measures in proper designs and technology in the health sector (Rothman, 2010). The information from this research will be of great importance in decision making for the board of management of the Vanderbilt Hospital as well as the other health facilities all over the world.

After an analysis of the importance of this research, I think it will be significant for the hospital board to grant permission for the continuity of this work. This is because the results of this study will be of great importance to the overall effectiveness of the hospital’s daily operations (Moumtzoglou, n.d). It will also be in agreement with the mission and vision statement of the hospital. There will also be recommendations on the possible areas of improvement in terms of facility design, equipment and technology required in the hospital.

Research methodology

The research process aims to have a qualitative and a quantitative survey that will ensure viable results are realized. Since there have been such studies carried out in the past, the research process will employ both primary and secondary sources of data. For the secondary research, I intend to have already written materials such as journals, magazines, pieces of literature, recordings and websites with relevant information.

The primary source of information will also be of great use in the research process. The study will carry out direct interviews to the nurses, paramedics, patients and other caregivers at the Vanderbilt Hospital (Barros & Giralt, 2012). Use of questionnaires will also be of great importance in the attempt to get adequate information on the impact of design on the patient’s safety.  We will also conduct a survey at the outskirts of the Tennessee to have first-hand information on the views of the population who are the potential customers of the organization. After collection of the data, the data will be analyzed by an essential statistical tool such as regression. Use of charts and tables will also be of great importance for the representation of the research results.

 

References

Barros, P., & Giralt, X. (2012). Health economics an industrial organization perspective. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.

Kavaler, F., & Alexander, R. (2014). Risk management in healthcare institutions: Limiting liability and enhancing care (3rd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Moumtzoglou, A. (n.d.). Cloud computing applications for quality health care delivery.

Rothman, D. (2010). Medical professionalism in the new information age. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.

Vincent, C. (2010). Patient Safety (2., Auflage ed.). New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.

 

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