AMJ

The design of health facilities requires knowledge and expertise. Even more, it requires wisdom – a deeply thought-through understanding of health, a degree of resolve to understand what amongst the research can be translated into a design, and the humility to know that all people have their own wisdom to contribute. As many in the health field know, wisdom and experience are not the same.

Photo by Antkriz

User acceptance of design tools and techniques is as important as usability and utility, if design is to play an important role in healthcare service improvement. The external design community needs to be aware of their audience, of who the service designers are and what their values are, to ensure good design experience. Equally, the healthcare community needs to investigate whether factors under their control contribute to poor user acceptance of design. It is suggested the two communities continue to work together to investigate this issue further.   

Photo by opalsson

Healthcare is the issue that touches the lives of everyone. Adapting, changing and continually innovating healthcare is a complex undertaking requiring contributions from many different stakeholders including governments, professionals, carers, patients and the general public. But how do these groups come together, work together and share ownership in identifying challenges and creating and delivering solutions for the future of healthcare?

Photo by Sreejith K 

The purpose of this article is to shed light on hospital facilities programming and to provide a general background that will help hospital administrators and senior medical staff to identify and include best practices in hospital facilities programming. The paper intends to introduce medical professionals to the most progressive programming methodologies as they relate to the facility’s future work and productivity, as well as to the problems and issues that providers must consider when embarking on a new hospital development project.

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The model described in this study offers the possibility of eliminating or controlling sources of stress in future construction or renovation of hospitals, providing information which, incorporated in design guides, offers unparalleled opportunities for prevention, by eliminating potential risks to the health of patients.

Photo by Pot Noodle

Design research and practise in a multidisciplinary environment allows for the development of innovative solutions that are deeply embedded in the user experience. The incorporation of design practise within the palliative care environment has led to the design solution, QCap, which has been devised to specifically to meet the needs of both care providers and patients.

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The results of this study suggest a marked deviation from international guidelines in the approach to diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in private practice in Southern India. Relying only on chest x-ray to diagnose pulmonary tuberculosis may lead to over-diagnosis, over-medication and unnecessary utilization of resources. There is a need to improve the awareness of the importance of sputum smear examination to diagnose pulmonary tuberculosis.

Photo by US Army Africa

Many of the respondents to this survey didn't know about swine flu in the midst of an pandemic, only 25% had heard of the disease. The authors recommend a public health campaign in Haryana.

Photo by Esparta

Breastfeeding and weaning practices vary among different regions and communities. In India, breastfeeding in rural areas appears to be shaped by the beliefs of a community, which are further influenced by social, cultural, and economic factors. Malnutrition is often associated with inappropriate feeding practices. This study was undertaken to investigate feeding and weaning practices along with the nutritional status of children under five in rural Maharashtra, India.

Photo by Raphaël Goetter

Laryngeal cancer, Laryngectomy, and quality of life; Substance abuse among people living in slums in a district of Northern India.