EDAC Patient Outcomes and Safety

Question 1

Which design feature has the strongest EBD evidence for directly reducing patient falls?

Accepted Answer

Single-patient rooms with bathrooms located close to the bed

Answer

Rooms with adjacent bathrooms reduce the distance patients must travel unsupported, which is the leading situational factor in patient falls.

Question 2

How does natural light exposure in patient rooms most directly affect health outcomes according to EBD?

Accepted Answer

It regulates circadian rhythms, improving sleep quality and reducing length of stay

Answer

Natural light synchronizes the body's circadian clock, improving sleep, reducing depression, and correlating with shorter hospital stays.

Question 3

EBD evidence most strongly links reduced healthcare-associated infection rates to:

Accepted Answer

Private single-patient rooms with dedicated toileting facilities

Answer

Private rooms with dedicated bathrooms prevent pathogen cross-transmission between patients, which is a primary source of HAIs.

Question 4

Which patient outcome is most strongly and directly improved by reducing hospital noise levels?

Accepted Answer

Sleep quality and duration

Answer

Noise is the single most commonly cited disruptor of patient sleep in hospitals; reducing it directly improves sleep duration and quality.

Question 5

According to EBD research, which design element most effectively reduces nurse medication errors?

Accepted Answer

Dedicated, enclosed medication preparation rooms that minimize interruptions

Answer

Interruption during medication preparation is a leading cause of errors; dedicated rooms physically shield nurses from interruptions.

EDAC - Evidence-Based Design Accreditation and Certification Practice Test