Recommended guidelines for the implementation of evidence-based design in healthcare construction

Abstract

Implementation of verified research to improve the human environment is a process known as evidence-based design (EBD). Research on EBD has been ongoing at universities for the last 27 years. While previous research on EBD has sparked debates and created substantive knowledge on the effects of EBD in healthcare construction, the practical question of how best to implement EBD in healthcare construction has been overlooked. Developing guidelines for the implementation of best EBD practices in healthcare facility construction through consensus from a panel of healthcare, construction, engineering and architecture professionals was the focus of this study. The conceptual framework of the study included the theory of evidence-based practice, knowledge creation and triple-loop learning to support the modified Delphi research. The study generated nine responses that established group consensus for guidelines for the implementation of EBD in healthcare construction and their significance to each project. The findings in three rounds of the study stand alone in current research as a means and methods approach for teams to use ranked guidelines to focus leadership in healthcare, design and construction on the implementation of evidence from past projects to create innovative approaches to current projects.