When we think of privacy, we typically think of information privacy—protecting a patient’s medical data and files. What is equally important is a patient’s physical privacy. Whether a patient is being examined, receiving treatment, or recuperating in a healthcare facility, privacy is critical to healing and emotional well-being. Physical privacy provides the comfort of dignity at a time when those in medical need may be at their most vulnerable.
The creation of privacy also comes with concerns regarding hygiene. Curtains and blinds come to mind most frequently as ways of creating visual barriers. However, these may not meet desired guidelines for hygiene. For all healthcare facilities, solutions need to be easy to clean and maintain. Both blinds and curtains gather dust and require frequent cleaning, making them a less than ideal solution.
In addition to hygiene, when choosing privacy solutions, a facility must also consider safety—especially fire safety. According to the National Fire Protection Association, an average of five fires break out every day at U.S. healthcare facilities and more than 8,000 hospital fires occur each year. Most shading solutions, like curtains and venetian blinds, do not help mitigate potential fire hazards.
Some patient space solutions on the market are both hygienic and fire-resistant.
Issues and design considerations
Architects have long struggled with the issue of specifying hygienic privacy control solutions that meet stringent hospital fire-rating requirements. How can you design an optimally safe and private patient environment that is aesthetically pleasing and hygienic, and that will stand the test of time?
Architects need to consider three important design influences in this regard.
First is the Health Insurance Portability and Accessibility Act of 1996 (HIPAA). HIPAA regulations are most often related to the protection of personal health records and information. However, HIPAA guidelines are also relevant to both visual and acoustic privacy. In terms of facilities, nurses’ workstation design must consider the visual privacy of both paper and digital patient medical information.
