Electronic Health Records Show Hospital Room Layout Affects Post-Surgical Outcomes

October 18, 2022

A recent study of patients undergoing high-risk surgeries at the University of Michigan hospital found that the layout of a hospital room and surrounding areas affects clinical outcomes. The study, which pulled real-world data (RWD) from the electronic health records of nearly 4,000 patients found that patients in rooms that are within visual range of nurses fare better than those who were not. In addition, having a window was tied to lower mortality rates.

According to the American College of Surgeons, “Patient rooms were coded based on their features—window or no window, single occupancy, double occupancy, distance to the nursing station, and line of sight to clinicians. Patient encounters were linked by room number to identify clinical outcomes, including mortality and length of stay, related to room design.”

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