Exploring the Built Environment of Walking through Walkability Index: A Study on Two Different Districts of the United Kingdom

The construction sector in the United Kingdom is dominated by small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) which have less than 250 employees and usually do not have research capacities to develop a range of low carbon innovations applicable in the construction sector. Various European and national funding programmes have addressed this problem by providing funding for research collaboration between universities and SMEs. The paper provides a selection of the outputs of academic/industry research, undertaken by seven Scottish universities through the project CIC Start Online from September 2009 until February 2013, related to low carbon planning, building design, technologies, construction, refurbishment and performance. The studies either contributed to the further development of existing products or processes, or tested new products or processes, often developed for a specific project with a potential for application in future projects. Online dissemination of the project outcomes has assisted in attracting membership across Scotland, the United Kingdom and internationally. Along with the low carbon building products and technologies, new low carbon infrastructure is being planned and developed in order to provide connections and services for energy generation from renewables, energy storage and decentralised distribution, water management (harvesting, saving and reuse), waste management (reduction, reuse and to-energy), transport (electric vehicles, cycling and walking) and information communication technology (ICT) for monitoring and managing infrastructure systems. The second part of the paper outlines how innovations for integration of sustainable infrastructure into the existing built environment will be supported through the follow-on joint project of nine Scottish universities, named Mainstreaming Innovation.

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Impact of the hospital built environment on treatment satisfaction of psychiatric in-patients

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291720003815 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

Nikolina Jovanović ◽

Elisabetta Miglietta ◽

Anja Podlesek ◽

Adam Malekzadeh ◽

Antonio Lasalvia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United Kingdom ◽

Patient Satisfaction ◽

Built Environment ◽

Treatment Satisfaction ◽

Psychiatric Hospitals ◽

Hospital Environment ◽

Patient Treatment ◽

Single Sex ◽

Patient Interviews ◽

The United Kingdom

Abstract Background A hospital built environment can affect patients’ treatment satisfaction, which is, in turn, associated with crucial clinical outcomes. However, little research has explored which elements are specifically important for psychiatric in-patients. This study aims to identify which elements of the hospital environment are associated with higher patient satisfaction with psychiatric in-patient care. Methods The study was conducted in Italy and the United Kingdom. Data was collected through hospital visits and patient interviews. All hospitals were assessed for general characteristics, aspects specific to psychiatry (patient safety, mixed/single-sex wards, smoking on/off wards), and quality of hospital environment. Patients’ treatment satisfaction was assessed using the Client Assessment of Treatment Scale (CAT). Multi-level modelling was used to explore the role of environment in predicting the CAT scores adjusted for age, gender, education, diagnosis, and formal status. Results The study included 18 psychiatric hospitals (7 in Italy and 11 in the United Kingdom) and 2130 patients. Healthcare systems in these countries share key characteristics (e.g. National Health Service, care organised on a geographical basis) and differ in policy regulation and governance. Two elements were associated with higher patient treatment satisfaction: being hospitalised on a mixed-sex ward (p = 0.003) and the availability of rooms to meet family off wards (p = 0.020). Conclusions As hospitals are among the most expensive facilities to build, their design should be guided by research evidence. Two design features can potentially improve patient satisfaction: family rooms off wards and mixed-sex wards. This evidence should be considered when designing or renovating psychiatric facilities.

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