Design Tools for Evidence-Based Healthcare Design

Book excerpt: The growing movement towards evidence-based healthcare design has largely emphasised a change of culture and attitudes. It has advocated for new ways of working, but until now, it has not focused on equipping healthcare clients and their designers with the practical means to exploit the potential benefits from evidence-based architectural design. Development of indicators and tools that aid designers and users of the built environments in thinking about quality enhances the design process to achieve better outcomes. Importantly, design tools can support managers and designers through end-user involvement and an increased understanding of what patients and staff expect from their healthcare facilities. They can facilitate the creation of patient-centred environments which improve user satisfaction. Design Tools for Evidence-Based Healthcare Design: Discusses the tools that are being used to achieve, design quality and excellence within the context of NHS procurement systems such as PFI, Procure21 and others. Collates information that increases our understanding of these tools, in order to be able to make the best use of them Clarifies where, during the various stages of a building’s life (from inception, design, construction, occupation and re-use), these tools should be used in order to derive the benefits possible from evidence-based design Provides in one place an authoritative reference publication that will act as a memory, a user guide and manual for these design tools Illustrated with case studies from throughout the UK and written by a well-known expert in the field, this book will provide essential reading for anyone involved in healthcare design.