Introduction
Medical errors that are associated with poor design solutions of health care facilities significantly diminish the safety of patients in the UAE, thereby creating health hazards that range from falls to infections. The objectives of this study are to explore the factors contributing to patient safety incidents in health care settings and examine how limitations of the hospital design, which result in the increasing incidence of patient safety issues, can be overcome with the use of innovation. The topic of the study is interested in innovation on the macro level and is consistent with the main principles of change management. It will help to better understand how innovation can catalyze sudden changes within an organization.
Theory and Hypotheses
The theoretical perspective used for this study comes from an article that indicates that flaws in the structural design of hospitals are positively associated with the risk of negative health care outcomes (Birnbach et al. 2010). The past studies in the area of improving the design of medical facilities indicate that by adjusting the architectural plans of hospitals, it is possible to significantly reduce safety hazards and medical errors (Birnbach et al. 2010; Lawton et al. 2012).
Two overarching research questions need to be answered by this study: Q1. Are some factors contribute to patient safety incidents in health care settings in the UAE? Q2. How limitations of the hospital design that result in the increasing incidence of patient safety issues can be overcome with the use of innovation?
The study is based on the following hypotheses: H1. Some factors contribute to patient safety incidents in health care settings in the UAE. H2. The limitations of the hospital design that result in the increasing incidence of patient safety issues can be overcome with the use of innovation.
The study will review the most recent articles in peer-reviewed medical journals.
Research Methodology
The study design is a systemic review of the literature. Electronic medical databases such as Medline, EMBASE, and CINAHL among others will be searched for studies indicating hospital design factors contributing to the occurrence of medical errors and poor health care outcomes. The inclusion criteria for the studies: hospital environments, and primary or secondary research on design flaws of secondary care facilities as well as other factors increasing the incidence of adverse events.
Analysis of Results and Limitations
A concept-centric approach will be taken to analyze the literature. The limitation of this approach is the reliance on previously published studies, their availability, and the appropriateness of inclusion criteria. The future research based on this study might explore specific safety principles that have to become a part of medical facility design.
Contributions and Outlets
The findings of this research might interest policymakers in the UAE and the global medical community. It might be published in journals such as PLoS, Health Affairs, and the Journal of Healthcare Management among others.
Citations/References and Exhibits
The study will use citations and exhibits from the most recent articles published in peer-reviewed medical journals.
Anticipated Challenges
The main challenges associated with the study is to choose the proper methodology and process collected data. The study will take qualitative direction and take advantage of modern software solutions for overcoming these challenges.
The timeline for completing the project: week 1—project proposal, week 2—results, and week 3—discussion and conclusion.
Reference List
Birnbach, D, Nevo, I, Scheinman, S, Fitzpatrick, M, Shekhter, I & Lombard, J 2010, ‘Patient safety begins with proper planning: a quantitative method to improve hospital design’, BMJ Quality & Safety, vol. 19, no. 5, pp. 462-465.
Lawton, R, McEachan, R, Giles, S, Sirriyeh, R, Watt, I & Wright, J 2012, ‘Development of an evidence-based framework of factors contributing to patient safety incidents in hospital settings: A systematic review’, BMJ Quality & Safety, vol. 21, no. 5, pp. 369-380.