Inga Malmqvist

An audit of the content and quality in briefs for Swedish healthcare spaces

Purpose: Initial briefs (programs) were examined in order to obtain an overview of current practice in documenting the briefing process for new health care buildings in Sweden. Methodology: An audit instrument was developed and used to examine briefs for the content and quality of information and to determine whether and to what extent the information was comprehensive and patient oriented. Findings: The results indicate that few strategic briefs make use of evidence to support their statements. Moreover, few briefs had an explicitly patient-focused goal for the project or measurable outcomes. Implication for practice: This new audit approach can be applied in various organisations and over time to improve the briefing process and create clearer goals and guidelines. Originality/value: The present study contributes with an audit of written briefs. The question of whether the use of briefing and a systematic brief make a significant contribution to the high quality of design solutions remains unanswered, as is also the case of whether the brief, in general, reflects the briefing process. Despite the recent focus on improving the quality of the briefing process, there is a lack of knowledge concerning the documentation resulting from the briefing process. Studies are needed that employ different approaches in order to accept or reject the assumption that the briefs are an accurate reflection of the briefing process.

Use and Usability of Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly. An observation study in Gothenburg Sweden.

To meet the demographic development, measures were initiated by the Swedish government entailing changed conditions for municipal eldercare, such as assisted living. Participant observation is used to study the daily use of common spaces in 14 assisted living units in Gothenburg. The results show examples where the current use diverges from the intended use and suggest diverging objectives and conflicts of use. The observations indicate that the degree of usability is determined by the physical environment itself in some cases, by the users and by changes in use in other cases, and by a combination of both in some cases.

Using of Group-Modeling in Predesign Phase of New Healthcare Environments Stakeholders Experiences

Background: Current research shows a relationship between healthcare architecture and patient-related outcomes. The planning and designing of new healthcare environments is a complex process. The needs of the various end users of the environment must be considered, including the patients, the patients’ significant others, and the staff. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of healthcare professionals participating in group modeling utilizing system dynamics in the predesign phase of new healthcare environments. We engaged healthcare professionals in a series of workshops using system dynamics to discuss the planning of healthcare environments in the beginning of a construction and then interviewed them about their experience. Methods: An explorative and qualitative design was used to describe participants’ experiences of participating in the group-modeling projects. Participants (N = 20) were recruited from a larger intervention study using group modeling and system dynamics in planning and designing projects. The interviews were analyzed by qualitative content analysis. Results: Two themes were formed, representing the experiences in the group-modeling process: “Participation in the group modeling generated knowledge and was empowering” and “Participation in the group modeling differed from what was expected and required the dedication of time and skills.” Conclusions: The method can support participants in design teams to focus more on their healthcare organization, their care activities, and their aims rather than focusing on detailed layout solutions. This clarification is important when decisions about the design are discussed and prepared and will most likely lead to greater readiness for future building process.

New Swedish forensic psychiatric facilities: visions and outcomes

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to map significant features of the physical design of nine recently planned facilities for forensic psychiatric care in Sweden. The present paper is focused on differences in the physical design, static security adaptations, visions and goals for the projects, economy and steering processes.Design/methodology/approach – In June 2008, records concerning major forensic psychiatric construction projects, planned or carried out between 1970 and 2008, were requested from all 21 regions in Sweden. The documents were collected, organized, critically examined, and analyzed in their contexts. Extensive data have also been retrieved from the internet.Findings – In spite of the common national legislation governing forensic psychiatric care, the projects show great diversity in the physical design and, after 2006, increasing emphasis on static security. The collected material indicates different visions and goals and little coordination between them. It also suggests that the d...

Exploring the Function and Use of Common Spaces in Assisted Living for Older Persons

OBJECTIVE: This exploratory study examines the function and use of common spaces in assisted living facilities (ALFs) from the residential and workplace perspectives. BACKGROUND: The impact of the physical environment on human activities in healthcare settings has been emphasized in many studies. Few studies, however, have explored the daily use of common spaces and the impact on the usability of ALFs. METHODS: Four explorative methods–observation, group interviews, individual interviews, and questionnaires—were used to investigate 14 ALFs in Sweden. The study involves residents, staff, relatives, architects, and people responsible for planning and construction of eldercare. This research strategy combines quantitative and qualitative methods to enhance the validity of the results. Method triangulation and data triangulation were used and the data were analyzed using Qualitative Content Analysis (QCA). RESULTS: The results show that residents and staff have different objectives for use and these differences affect usability, although explicit conflicts are rare. The residents, staff, and other stakeholders have different views about the demarcation of home and workplace and the role of common spaces as venues for social interaction. CONCLUSIONS: Both the residential and the workplace perspective must be considered when planning assisted living facilities. Otherwise, inherent conflicts between these perspectives will manifest as a result of the physical design. Common spaces have diverse functions that are reflected in their spatial organization. Therefore, ALFs should be designed so the intended function of a specific space is apparent to all users.

Injury events in residential areas - risk groups and etiological factors for falling, cutting and poisoning.

Background Injury events in homes constitute a major social problem. Falling, cutting and poisoning make up 85 per cent of all injury events in residential areas. This study is based on a unique data set that includes several million cases of falling, cutting and poisoning in Sweden during the period 1990-2013 which lead to either to death, hospitalisation or to a visit to a health care provider, and a control group randomly selected from the population. Three riskgroups are given special attention in the analysis: (1) old people, (2) children, (3) persons with disabilities and or long term illnesses. Methods Multilevel regression analysis and geographical information systems, GIS. Results The results show the probability for each riskgroup to be exposed to each type of injury event, and how this probability varies with place (GIS), previous exposure, type of household, socioeconomic status and type of housing. Conclusions The project is ongoing. Our cross-sectorial group has demonstrated the importance of injury epidemiology as a guiding principle in architectural design, particularly for high-risk groups.