EDAC Healthcare Facility Design Principles 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: EBD research most strongly supports which flooring material for reducing noise in patient care areas?
- Rubber or resilient flooring (Correct answer)
- Ceramic tile
- Polished concrete
- Vinyl composition tile (VCT)
Correct answer: Rubber or resilient flooring
Rubber and resilient flooring absorb impact sound better than hard surfaces, reducing noise from footsteps and dropped objects.
Question 2: Which of the following is a primary goal of 'healing environment' design in EBD?
- Reducing patient stress by incorporating nature, light, and social support spaces (Correct answer)
- Maximizing the number of patient beds per square foot
- Standardizing all room layouts to reduce construction variability
- Minimizing window area to reduce HVAC loads
Correct answer: Reducing patient stress by incorporating nature, light, and social support spaces
Healing environments are designed to reduce psychosocial stressors and support recovery through biophilic, social, and restorative design elements.
Question 3: What is the EBD-supported benefit of providing family accommodation spaces within patient rooms?
- Improved patient outcomes through reduced stress and increased social support (Correct answer)
- Reduced nursing overtime by shifting care to family members
- Lower supply costs through family self-service
- Increased patient room revenue through extended stays
Correct answer: Improved patient outcomes through reduced stress and increased social support
Family presence and support have been shown to reduce patient anxiety, improve communication with care teams, and support faster recovery.
Question 4: In the context of EBD, 'respite spaces' for staff are designed to:
- Provide areas where staff can decompress, reducing burnout and medical errors (Correct answer)
- House medical equipment when not in active use
- Store personal protective equipment for rapid access
- Serve as overflow patient holding areas during surge capacity
Correct answer: Provide areas where staff can decompress, reducing burnout and medical errors
Staff respite spaces give healthcare workers a place to physically and mentally recover, which evidence links to reduced fatigue and fewer errors.
Question 5: Which element of healthcare facility design is most directly associated with reducing medication errors according to EBD research?
- Dedicated, quiet medication preparation rooms free from interruptions (Correct answer)
- Open-plan nursing stations for peer oversight
- Medication carts stored in main corridors for accessibility
- Overhead paging systems to alert nurses of medication times
Correct answer: Dedicated, quiet medication preparation rooms free from interruptions
Dedicated, distraction-free medication rooms significantly reduce interruptions during drug preparation, which are a leading cause of medication errors.
Question 6: Which concept describes designing patient rooms that can serve multiple levels of acuity without patient transfers?
- Acuity-adaptable room design (Correct answer)
- Universal room design
- Flexible bay configuration
- Pod-based nursing unit
Correct answer: Acuity-adaptable room design
Acuity-adaptable rooms are equipped to handle varying care intensities, eliminating transfers that disrupt care and increase fall risk.
EDAC Healthcare Facility Design Principles 2
EBD research most strongly supports which flooring material for reducing noise in patient care areas?