Last update:

   20-Apr-2012
 

Arch Hellen Med, 29(2), March-April 2012, 154-161

REVIEW

Healing environment and evidence-based design (EBD):
The international experience and the case of Greece

E. Sklavou, I. Tzouvadakis
Department of Structural Engineering, School of Civil Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Athens, Greece

The physical environment of a hospital affects the safety and well being of patients, visitors and staff, and the quality and costs of the services provided. In addition there is a strong relationship between the structural environment of a building and the energy usage of that building. In the case of healthcare facilities, the challenge that is faced is to provide a healing environment while at the same time achieving energy efficiency. Internationally, remarkable progress has been made in this field, with rigorous academic research producing findings, conclusions and recommendations that are disseminated throughout the scientific community and which result in practical applications. Greece has yet to show corresponding progress in this field. The motivation and objective of this review is to bridge the growing gap between the approach to hospital design in the international community and that in Greece.

Key words: Architecture, Evidence-based design, Healing environment, Healthcare design.


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