Summary: The AIA Academy of Architecture for Health Knowledge Community is participating in a study of inpatient charting station designs at hospitals across the nation. The Hospital Workplace Research Group (HWRG)—funded by the Academy of Architecture for Health Foundation—has invited 6,800 architects nationwide to participate in this study. The HWRG team is lead by Clark/Kjos Architects of Portland, Ore, and firm principal Tom Clark, AIA.

Architects participating in the nationwide study will partner with their healthcare clients and provide a floor plan of their local hospital’s acute care inpatient unit. Then, they’ll coordinate with the hospital’s nursing staff to complete an online survey measuring the effectiveness of their unit’s current design. So far, the study group has already had more than 50 surveys returned. “Our hypothesis is that certain configurations allow nurses to spend more direct time with patients,” says Clark.

For hospitals to participate, they (and other clinicians that use these facilities) must use electronic medical records. The research group is also asking all other members of the AIA Academy of Architecture for Health to participate in the study, which is slated to be finished by next March.

For more information or to participate in this research study, e-mail erincouch@ckarch.com.