EDAC EDAC Exam Foundations and Core Concepts 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The EDAC credential is administered by which organization?
- The Center for Health Design (CHD) (Correct answer)
- The American Institute of Architects (AIA)
- The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)
- The American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE)
Correct answer: The Center for Health Design (CHD)
The Center for Health Design develops and administers the EDAC credentialing program as part of its mission to advance evidence-based healthcare design.
Question 2: The Pebble Project, relevant to EDAC candidates, is best described as:
- A research coalition of healthcare organizations sharing data on design's impact on outcomes (Correct answer)
- A federal grant program funding evidence-based hospital construction
- A certification body for healthcare interior designers
- A database of peer-reviewed articles on facility management
Correct answer: A research coalition of healthcare organizations sharing data on design's impact on outcomes
The Pebble Project is a CHD initiative where member healthcare organizations conduct and share research on how design affects clinical and operational outcomes.
Question 3: Which of the following best defines 'evidence-based design' (EBD) in the context of the EDAC credential?
- The process of making design decisions based on the best available research from credible studies (Correct answer)
- Designing buildings in compliance with all current building codes and standards
- Using computer-aided design software to model evidence-based construction materials
- Following design guidelines issued by accreditation agencies
Correct answer: The process of making design decisions based on the best available research from credible studies
EBD is a structured process of grounding design decisions in the best available credible research to achieve measurable outcomes.
Question 4: What is the primary purpose of the EDAC examination?
- To certify that individuals can apply evidence-based design research to healthcare facility design decisions (Correct answer)
- To license architects to practice independently in healthcare settings
- To accredit healthcare organizations for compliance with design standards
- To assess interior designers' knowledge of healthcare color theory
Correct answer: To certify that individuals can apply evidence-based design research to healthcare facility design decisions
The EDAC exam tests whether candidates can locate, evaluate, and translate healthcare design research into evidence-informed design decisions.
Question 5: Which key outcome category is central to all EDAC research frameworks?
- Patient, staff, and organizational outcomes linked to the physical environment (Correct answer)
- Cost per square foot of evidence-based design features
- Regulatory compliance rates across facility types
- Physician satisfaction with procedure room layouts
Correct answer: Patient, staff, and organizational outcomes linked to the physical environment
EDAC frameworks focus on measuring how design affects patients, staff, and organizational performance as the three primary outcome domains.
Question 6: In the EDAC framework, what does it mean to 'hypothesize outcomes'?
- Making a testable prediction about how a specific design decision will affect a measurable result (Correct answer)
- Estimating construction costs for proposed design features
- Predicting regulatory approval timelines for a design submission
- Forecasting patient volume following a facility renovation
Correct answer: Making a testable prediction about how a specific design decision will affect a measurable result
In EBD practice, hypothesizing outcomes means stating upfront, in measurable terms, what change in patient, staff, or organizational outcomes the design is expected to produce.
EDAC EDAC Exam Foundations and Core Concepts 1
The EDAC credential is administered by which organization?