Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Jul;17(3):372-394.
doi: 10.1177/19375867241251830. Epub 2024 May 28.

A Systematic Review of Research Gaps in the Built Environment of Inpatient Healthcare Settings

Marie Elf  1 , Ruby Lipson-Smith  2   3 , Maya Kylén  1   4 , Juan Pablo Saa  2   5 , Jodi Sturge  6 , Elke Miedema  7 , Susanna Nordin  1 , Julie Bernhardt  2 , Anna Anåker  1
Affiliations

A Systematic Review of Research Gaps in the Built Environment of Inpatient Healthcare Settings

Marie Elf et al. HERD. 2024 Jul.

Abstract

Objective: This study utilized the evidence-gap map method and critically examined the scope, methodologies, and focus of the studies that investigated the influence of the built environment on inpatient healthcare settings over a decade (2010-2021).

Methods: We conducted a systematic review per the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines and surveyed 406 articles, primarily from North America and Europe.

Results: Our findings revealed a dominant focus on architectural features (73%), such as room design and ward layout. Comparatively, there was less emphasis on interior-, ambient-, social-, and nature-related features. Most previous studies explored multiple environmental features, which indicated the intricacy of this field. Research outcomes were diverse, with person-centered care (PCC) being the most frequently investigated, followed by safe care, emotional well-being, activity, and behavior. Furthermore, research methods varied considerably based on the study's outcomes and features. Clinical outcomes and safe care favored quantitative methods, activity and behavior favored mixed methods, and PCC favored qualitative research.

Conclusion: This review provides an in-depth overview of the existing studies on healthcare design research and sheds light on the current trends and methodological choices. The insights garnered can guide future research, policy-making, and the development of healthcare facilities.

Keywords: built environment; evidence-based design; evidence-gap map; healthcare architecture; healthcare settings; hospital; systematic review.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Review framework.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA).
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Geographical map.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Outcomes and setting.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Design Features and Outcomes.
Figure 6.
Figure 6.
Research methods and design.
Figure 7.
Figure 7.
Methods and outcomes.
Figure 8.
Figure 8.
Features and methods.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Anåker A., Heylighen A., Nordin S., Elf M. (2017). Design quality in the context of healthcare environments: A scoping review. Health Environments Research & Design Journal, 10(4), 136–150. 10.1177/1937586716679404 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Anåker A., von Koch L., Eriksson G., Sjöstrand C., Elf M. (2022). The physical environment and multi-professional teamwork in three newly built stroke units. Disability and Rehabilitation, 44(7), 1098–1106. 10.1080/09638288.2020.1793008 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Anåker A., von Koch L., Heylighen A., Elf M. (2019). “It’s lonely”: Patients’ experiences of the physical environment at a newly built stroke unit. Health Environments Research & Design Journal, 12(3), 141–152. 10.1177/1937586718806696 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bernhardt J., Lipson-Smith R., Davis A., White M., Zeeman H., Pitt N., Shannon M., Crotty M., Churilov L., Elf M. (2022). Why hospital design matters: A narrative review of built environments research relevant to stroke care. SAGE. 10.1177/17474930211042485 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Brambilla A., Rebecchi A., Capolongo S. (2019). Evidence based hospital design. A literature review of the recent publications about the EBD impact of built environment on hospital occupants’ and organizational outcomes. Annali Di Igiene, 31(2), 165–180. https://doi:10.7416/ai.2019.2269 - DOI - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources