Translating Research into Practice: Developing a Design Tool to Support Evidence-Based Decision-Making between Multiple Stakeholders

Herminia Machry (Clemson University)

The task of translating research into practice is critical, but also challenging during the design process. In academia as well as architectural practice, existing forms of knowledge lack in applicability and accessibility to effectively inform design towards measurable outcomes. In operating rooms (ORs), physical characteristics such as layout, lighting, and visibility have been associated to patient safety outcomes by contributing to infection and errors during surgery. As more ORs continue to be built, it is essential that their design help support increased safety outcomes for patients and staff. Resulting from a 4-year multidisciplinary research project, this session will provide insight into the development process of a web-based OR design tool to support evidence-based design decision-making between designers and clinicians. This tool converges empirical information, along with insights from the ongoing patient-safety learning lab, to support designers, clinicians, and researchers in the field of healthcare design. A list of OR design strategies were identified from the literature and from multiple research studies conducted by the research team. Utilizing the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) framework, each strategy was related to one or more desired outcomes (e.g. improve movement and flow, reduce bacterial load), its supporting evidence or recommendation, the design category it addresses (e.g. room layout, lighting), and the one or more SEIPS constructs it relates to in the OR work system (environment, people, technology, tasks, organization). Visual illustrations were also developed to facilitate the tool’s usability. Experts in healthcare design and research validated the content and structure of the tool through a modified Delphi process, while end-users validated its usability. By providing OR design recommendations associated with specific outcomes, rationales and evidence, this tool has the potential to inform and improve design decision-making, while leveraging research to solve complex OR design challenges.