The National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI) and Center for Health Design have issued a report on ways hospitals can create a healing physical environment for children and families. The report concludes the physical environment of health care settings affects the clinical, physiological, psychosocial and safety outcomes among child patients and families.
Minimizing or eliminating harmful effects of various environmental factors, such as loud noise, high light levels and infectious pathogens, should be the goal of children’s hospitals and other hospitals providing pediatric services, according to the report. The neonatal intensive care unit has been the focus of many interventions proven effective in improving infant health outcomes.
The report prioritizes top design recommendations and breaks them out by those hospitals can implement at any time at low cost and those hospitals can implement during renovation or new construction at moderate to high cost.
The full report will be published in late May. Copies will be available to members and to order online through NACHRI.
