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Background: In a global effort to design better hospital buildings for people and organizations, some design principles are still surrounded by great mystery. The aim of this online study was to compare anxiety in an existing single-bed inpatient hospital room with three redesigns of this room in accordance with the principles of Golden Ratio, Feng Shui, and Evidence-Based Design. Methods: In this online multi-arm parallel-group randomized trial participants were randomly assigned (1:1:1:1) to one of four conditions, namely Golden Ratio condition, Feng Shui condition, Evidence-Based Design condition, or the control condition. The primary outcomes were anxiety, sense of control, social support, positive distraction, and pleasantness of the room. Findings: Between June 24, 2022, and August 22, 2022, 558 individuals were randomly assigned to one of the four conditions, 137 participants to the control condition, 138 participants to the Golden Ratio condition, 140 participants to the Feng Shui condition, and 143 participants to the Evidence-Based Design condition. Compared with baseline, participants assigned to the Evidence-Based Design condition experienced less anxiety (mean difference -1.35, 95% CI -2.15 to -0.55, Cohen's d = 0.40, p < 0.001). Results also showed a significant indirect effect of the Feng Shui condition on anxiety through the pleasantness of the room (B = -0.85, CI = -1.29 to -0.45) and social support (B = -0.33, CI = -0.56 to -0.13). Pleasantness of the room and social support were mediators of change in anxiety in the Evidence-Based Design and Feng Shui conditions. In contrast, application of the design principle Golden Ratio showed no effect on anxiety and remains a myth. Interpretation: To our knowledge, this is the first randomized controlled trial linking design principles directly to anxiety in hospital rooms. The findings of our study suggest that Feng Shui and Evidence-Based Design hospital rooms can mitigate anxiety by creating a pleasant looking hospital room that fosters access to social support. Clinical trial registration: The trial is registered with ISRCTN, ISRCTN10480033. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to qualitatively examine the relationship between the indoor environmental quality (IEQ), lecturers' and students' perceived internal responses and academic performance. Design/methodology/approach: To capture user experiences with the IEQ in classrooms, semi-structured interviews with 11 lecturers and three focus group discussions with 24 students were conducted, transcribed, coded and analyzed using direct content analysis. Findings: The findings show that lecturers and students experience poor thermal, lighting, acoustic and indoor air quality (IAQ) conditions that may influence their ability to teach and learn. Maintaining acceptable thermal and IAQ conditions was difficult for lecturers, as opening windows or doors caused noise disturbances. In uncomfortable conditions, lecturers may decide to give a break earlier or shorten a lecture. When students experienced discomfort, it may affect their ability to concentrate, their emotional status and their quality of learning. Research limitations/implications: The findings originate from a relatively small sample, which might have limited the number and variety of identified associations between environment and users. Practical implications: Maintaining acceptable air and thermal conditions will mitigate the need to open windows and doors. Keeping doors and windows closed will prevent noise disturbances and related distractions. This will support the quality of learning in classrooms. This study reveals the end users' perspectives and preferences, which can inspire designers of new school buildings in higher education. Originality/value: This study emphasizes the importance of creating and maintaining optimal IEQ conditions to support the quality of teaching and learning. These conditions are particularly relevant when classroom occupancy rates are high or outdoor conditions are unfavourable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Until now, it is not clear whether there are differences in patient perception between multi-bedded rooms with two and four beds. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the physical (i.e. room type) and psychosocial (i.e. kindness of roommates and extraversion) aspects on the patients' experience (i.e. pleasantness of the room, anxiety, sleep quality) in multi-bedded rooms in an oncology ward. Design/methodology/approach: A group of 84 hospitalized oncology patients completed a questionnaire on the day of departure. Room types were categorized into two groups: two-person and four-person rooms. Findings: Multivariate logistic regression analyses with the minimum Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) showed no direct main effects of room type (two vs. four-person room), kindness of roommates and extraversion on pleasantness of the room, anxiety and sleep quality. However, the authors found an interaction effect between room type and extraversion on pleasantness of the room. Patients who score relatively high in extraversion rated the room as more pleasant when they stayed in a four-person rather than a two-person room. For patients relatively low in extraversion, room type was not related to pleasantness of the room. Practical implications: The findings allow hospitals to better understand individual differences in patient experiences. Hospitals should inform patients about the benefits of the different room types and potential influences of personality (extraversion) so patients are empowered and can benefit from autonomy and the most appropriate place. Originality/value: This study emphasizes the importance of including four-person rooms in an oncology ward, while new hospital facility layouts mainly include single-bed rooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: We aim to gain insight into the interaction between challenging behavior as shown by individuals with an intellectual impairment, and space, and to explore the possibilities of using routinely collected data to this end. Background: Research on challenging behavior shown by intellectually impaired individuals links their behavior to context, which includes space. Unfortunately, research about this link is hard to conduct, since these individuals may have difficulties expressing themselves verbally and react extremely to sensory stimuli. Method: We conducted a single-case study, focusing on a Dutch very-intensive care facility. We analyzed data routinely collected by the healthcare organization in search of time-space configurations that provide insights into the resident–space interaction. As sensitizing concepts, we used three different contexts the residents interact with—space, people, and activities. Findings: The study exemplified reported interactions that were direct, for example, between the residents and the spatial context, and indirect, for example, through other contexts (people and activities). Space impacts on residents' senses intensely and acts as a lightning rod for their perceived stress. People also influence residents substantially. Caregivers may both have positive or adverse effects, for example, absenteeism or schedule change. Co-residents may trigger challenging behavior directly by a mere presence or transfer of their stress. Transitions between activities cause unpredictability and are triggers for residents, which interact with space. Conclusions: Living environments providing choice in nearness to the caregiver and distance to co-residents "high in tension," lowering thresholds for transitions, and facilitating predictability would be beneficial for intellectually impaired individuals showing challenging behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large proportion of the global workforce migrated home during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. It remains unclear what the exact differences between home workers and non-home workers were, especially during the pandemic when a return to work was imminent. How were building, workplace, and related facilities associated with workers' perceptions and health? What are the lessons to be learned? Lifelines Corona Research Initiative was used to compare employees' workplaces and related concerns, facilities, work quality, and health in a complete case analysis (N = 12,776) when return to work was imminent. Mann-Whitney U, logistic regression, and Wilcoxon matched-pairs were used for analyses. Notwithstanding small differences, the results show that home workers had less favourable scores for concerns about and facilities of on-site buildings and workplaces upon return to work, but better scores for work quality and health than non-home workers. However, additional analyses also suggest that building, workplace, and related facilities may have had the capacity to positively influence employees' affective responses and work quality, but not always their health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several studies found that classrooms' indoor environmental quality (IEQ) can positively influence in‐class activities. Understanding and quantifying the combined effect of four indoor environmental parameters, namely indoor air quality and thermal, acoustic, and lighting conditions on people is essential to create an optimal IEQ. Accordingly, a systematic approach was developed to study the effect of multiple IEQ parameters simultaneously. Methods for measuring the IEQ and students' perceived IEQ, internal responses, and academic performance were derived from literature. Next, this systematic approach was tested in a pilot study during a regular academic course. The perceptions, internal responses, and short‐term academic performance of participating students (n = 163) were measured. During the pilot study, the IEQ of the classrooms varied slightly. Significant associations (p < 0.05) were observed between these natural variations and students' perceptions of the thermal environment and indoor air quality. These perceptions were significantly associated with their physiological and cognitive responses (p < 0.05). Furthermore, students' perceived cognitive responses were associated with their short‐term academic performance (p < 0.01). The observed associations confirm the construct validity of the systematic approach. However, its validity for investigating the influence of lighting remains to be determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The challenging combination of breastfeeding and work is one of the main reasons for early breastfeeding cessation. Although the availability of a lactation room (defined as a private space designated for milk expression or breastfeeding) is important in enabling the combination of breastfeeding and work, little is known about the effects of lactation room quality on mothers' feelings and thoughts related to breastfeeding and work. We hypothesized that a high-quality lactation room (designed using the Theory of Supportive Design) would cause mothers to experience less stress, have more positive thoughts about milk expression at work, perceive more organizational support, and report more subjective well-being, than a low-quality lactation room. Methods: In an online randomized controlled trial (Study 1), Dutch mothers (N = 267) were shown either a high-quality or a low-quality lactation room (using pictures and descriptions for the manipulation) and were then asked about their feelings and thoughts. In a subsequent field experiment (Study 2) we modified the lactations rooms in a large organization in Groningen, the Netherlands, to manipulate lactation room quality, and asked mothers (N = 61) who used either a high-quality or low-quality lactation room to fill out surveys to assess the dependent variables. Results: The online study showed that mothers exposed to the high-quality lactation room anticipated less stress, more positive cognitions about milk expression at work, more perceived organizational support, and more subjective well-being than mothers exposed to the low-quality lactation room (p < 0.05). Moreover, the effect of lactation room quality on perceived organizational support was especially pronounced for mothers who were higher in environmental sensitivity. The field experiment showed that use of the high-quality room led to less reported stress than use of the low-quality room (p < 0.05). We also found that mothers who were higher in environmental sensitivity perceived more control over milk expression at work and experienced more subjective well-being in the high-quality condition than in the low-quality condition (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The current studies show that not only the availability, but also the quality of lactation rooms is important in facilitating the combination of breastfeeding and work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While activity-based working is gaining popularity worldwide, research shows that workers frequently experience a misfit between the task at hand and their work setting. In the current study, experience sampling data were used to examine how perceived fit in activity-based work environments is related to user behavior (i.e., the use of work settings and setting-switching). We found that workers' perceived fit was higher when they used closed rather than open work settings for individual high-concentration work. Furthermore, more frequent setting-switching was related to higher perceived fit. Unexpectedly, however, this relation was observed only among workers low in activityswitching. These findings indicate that user behavior may indeed be relevant to creating fit in activity-based work environments. To optimize workers' perceived fit, it seems to be particularly important to facilitate and stimulate the use of closed work settings for individual high-concentration work [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The challenge of combining professional work and breastfeeding is a key reason why women choose not to breastfeed or to stop breastfeeding early. We posited that having access to a high-quality lactation room at the workplace could influence working mothers' satisfaction and perceptions related to expressing breast milk at work, which could have important longer term consequences for the duration of breastfeeding. Specifically, we aimed to (1) develop a checklist for assessing the quality of lactation rooms and (2) explore how lactation room quality affects lactating mothers' satisfaction and perceptions. Drawing on social ecological insights, we hypothesized that the quality of lactation rooms (operationalized as any space used for expressing milk at work) would be positively related to mothers' satisfaction with the room, perceived ease of, and perceived support for milk expression at work. Methods: We conducted two studies. In Study 1 we developed a lactation room quality checklist (LRQC) and assessed its reliability twice, using samples of 33 lactation rooms (Study 1a) and 31 lactation rooms (Study 1b). Data were collected in the Northern part of the Netherlands (between December 2016 and April 2017). Study 2 comprised a cross-sectional survey of 511 lactating mothers, working in a variety of Dutch organizations. The mothers were recruited through the Facebook page of a popular Dutch breastfeeding website. They completed online questionnaires containing the LRQC and measures aimed at assessing their satisfaction and perceptions related to milk expression at work (in June and July 2017). Results: The LRQC was deemed reliable and easy to apply in practice. As predicted, we found that objectively assessed higher-quality lactation rooms were associated with increased levels of satisfaction with the lactation rooms, perceived ease of milk expression at work, and perceived support from supervisors and co-workers for expressing milk in the workplace. Conclusions: The availability of a high-quality lactation room could influence mothers' decisions regarding breast milk expression at work and the commencement and/or continuation of breastfeeding. Future studies should explore whether and how lactation room quality affects breastfeeding choices, and which aspects are most important to include in lactation rooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate which critical success factors (CSFs) influence interaction on campuses as identified by the facility directors (FDs) of Dutch university campuses and to discuss how these compare with the literature. Design/methodology/approach: All 13 Dutch university campus FDs were interviewed (office and walking interview), focussing on CSFs relating to spaces and services that facilitate interaction. Open coding and thematic analysis resulted in empirically driven categories indicated by the respondents. Similarities and differences between the CSFs as previously identified in the literature are discussed. Findings: The following categories emerged: constraints, motivators, designing spaces, designing services, building community and creating coherence. The campus is seen as a system containing subsystems and is itself part of a wider system (environment), forming a layered structure. Constraints and motivators are part of the environment but cannot be separated from the other four categories, as they influence their applicability. Research limitations/implications: This study was limited to interviews with FDs and related staff. The richness of the findings shows that this was a relevant and efficient data collection strategy for the purpose of this study. Practical implications: By viewing the campus as an open system, this study puts the practical applicability of CSFs into perspective yet provides a clear overview of CSFs related to campus interaction that may be included in future campus design policies. Social implications: This (more) complete overview of CSFs identified in both literature and practice will help FDs, policymakers and campus designers to apply these CSFs in their campus designs. This improved campus design would increase the number of knowledge sharing interactions, contributing to innovation and valorisation. This could create a significant impact in all research fields, such as health, technology or well-being, benefitting society as a whole. Originality/value: This study provides a comprehensive overview and comparison of CSFs from both literature and practice, allowing more effective application of CSFs in campus design policies. A framework for future studies on CSFs for interaction on campuses is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: As hospitals are now being designed with an increasing number of single rooms or cubicles, the individual preference of patients with respect to social contact is of great interest. The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of the experience of patients in an outpatient infusion center. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 29 semi-structured interviews were conducted, transcribed and analyzed by using direct content analysis. Findings: Findings showed that patients perceived a lack of acoustic privacy and therefore tried to emotionally isolate themselves or withheld information from staff. In addition, patients complained about the sounds of infusion pumps, but they were neutral about the interior features. Patients who preferred non-talking desired enclosed private rooms and perceived negative distraction because of spatial crowding. In contrast, patients who preferred talking, or had no preference, desired shared rooms and perceived positive distraction because of spatial crowding. Research limitations/implications: In conclusion, results showed a relation between physical aspects (i.e. physical enclosure) and the social environment. Practical implications: The findings allow facility managers to better understand the patients' experiences in an outpatient infusion facility and to make better-informed decisions. Patients with different preferences desired different physical aspects. Therefore, nursing staff of outpatient infusion centers should assess the preferences of patients. Moreover, architects should integrate different types of treatment places (i.e. enclosed private rooms and shared rooms) in new outpatient infusion centers to fulfill different preferences and patients should have the opportunity to discuss issues in private with nursing staff. Originality/value: This study emphasizes the importance of a mix of treatment rooms, while new hospital designs mainly include single rooms or cubicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports the outcomes of a systematic literature review, which aims to determine the influence of four indoor environmental parameters — indoor air, thermal, acoustic, and lighting conditions —on the quality of teaching and learning and on students' academic achievement in schools for higher education, defined as education at a college or university. By applying the Cochrane Collaboration Method, relevant scientific evidence was identified by systematically searching in multiple databases. After the screening process, 21 publications of high relevance and quality were included. The collected evidence showed that the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) can contribute positively to the quality of learning and short‐term academic performance of students. However, the influence of all parameters on the quality of teaching and the long‐term academic performance could not be determined yet. Students perform at their best in different IEQ conditions, and these conditions are task‐dependent, suggesting that classrooms which provide multiple IEQ classroom conditions facilitate different learning tasks optimally. In addition, the presented evidence illuminates how to examine the influence of the IEQ on users. Finally, this information supports decision‐makers in facility management and building systems engineering to improve the IEQ, and by doing so, allow teachers and students to perform optimally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Most people live in cities and work in offices, two contexts offering many lifestyle-related and environmental health risks. To advance their health, this paper aims to introduce an analogy between urban design and facility design to explore whether health-directed design interventions in cities and facilities are related and to look for applicable cross-overs and opportunities to develop the facility management (FM) profession on the urban level. Design/methodology/approach: The principles of abductive reasoning as a first phase of scientific investigation were followed, by introducing a new idea and attentively observing phenomena in the communities of FM and urban design. The method was desk research, in the context of discovery. Findings: Many possible cross-overs exist which offer opportunities for urban planners and facility managers to reinforce each other and interesting market opportunities for the further development of urban FM. However, more systematic research is needed on efficacious and effective interventions. Furthermore, experiences and capacities of the FM sector should be unlocked and applied within a city context, as the knowledge and experiences of facility managers and urban planners can create synergy. Practical implications: The findings are directly applicable to facility and urban design practices and to FM education by involving students in city design practices. Originality/value: Cross-overs between facilities and cities are new and can inspire both facility managers and urban planners to work together more closely for the benefit of citizens and employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Noise is a common problem in hospitals, and it is known that social behavior can influence sound levels. The aim of this naturally-occurring field experiment was to assess the influence of a non-talking rule on the actual sound level and perception of patients in an outpatient infusion center. In a quasi-randomized trial two conditions were compared in real life. In the control condition, patients (n = 137) were allowed to talk to fellow patients and visitors during the treatment. In the intervention condition patients (n = 126) were requested not to talk to fellow patients and visitors during their treatment. This study measured the actual sound levels in dB(A) as well as patients’ preferences regarding sound and their perceptions of the physical environment, anxiety, and quality of health care. A linear-mixed-model showed a statistically significant, but rather small reduction of the non-talking rule on the actual sound level with an average of 1.1 dB(A). Half of the patients preferred a talking condition (57%), around one-third of the patients had no preference (36%), and 7% of the patients preferred a non-talking condition. Our results suggest that patients who preferred non-talking, perceived the environment more negatively compared to the majority of patients and perceived higher levels of anxiety. Results showed no significant effect of the experimental conditions on patient perceptions. In conclusion, a non-talking rule of conduct only minimally reduced the actual sound level and did not influence the perception of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine how the presence of cleaning staff affects perceptions and satisfaction of train passengers. Day-time cleaning is becoming increasingly popular in (public) service environments. It is however unknown how the presence of cleaning staff in the service environment affects perceptions and satisfaction of end-users.Design/methodology/approach Two experimental field studies were performed. Data for the first study were collected on the trajectory between the train station of Assen and the station of Groningen (N = 506) in the northern part of the Netherlands. Data for the second study were collected on the trajectory between train station "Amsterdam Amstel" and train station "Utrecht Centraal" (N = 1,113) in the central part of the Netherlands. In the experimental condition, two cleaners collected waste and performed minor cleaning activities (i.e. empty trash bins, cleaning doors and tables) during the journey. After the first study, cleaners received hospitality training and corporate uniforms.Findings The presence of cleaning staff positively influenced train passengers' perceptions and satisfaction. Effects were stronger in the second study, after the second consecutive intervention (i.e. hospitality training, corporate uniforms). In both studies, the presence of cleaners positively influenced passengers' perceptions of staff, cleanliness and comfort. The perception of atmosphere was only significant after the intervention.Practical implications The findings of this study allow in-house and corporate facility managers to better understand the possible effects of the presence of their cleaning staff on end-user perceptions and satisfaction.Originality/value The study's value lies in its human centred approach by demonstrating the importance of day-time cleaning. This area of research has been largely neglected in the field of facilities and (public) services management research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This paper aims to identify antecedents that influence perceived cleanliness by consulting experts and end-users in the field of facilities management (facility service providers, clients of facility service providers and consultants). Business models were evaluated to understand why some antecedents are adopted by practitioners and others are not.Design/methodology/approach A qualitative study, with end-users (n = 7) and experts (n = 24) in the field of facilities management, was carried out to identify antecedents of perceived cleanliness. Following the Delphi approach, different research methods including interviews, group discussions and surveys were applied.Findings Actual cleanliness, cleaning staff behaviour and the appearance of the environment were identified as the three main antecedents of perceived cleanliness. Client organisations tend to have a stronger focus on antecedents that are not related to the cleaning process compared to facility service providers.Practical implications More (visible) cleaning, maintenance, toilets, scent, architecture and use of materials offer interesting starting points for practitioners to positively influence perceived cleanliness. These antecedents may also be used for the development of a standard for perceived cleanliness.Originality/value A basis was created for the development of an instrument that measures perceived cleanliness and includes antecedents that are typically not included in most of the current standards of actual cleanliness (e.g. NEN 2075, ISSA). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satisfaction with activity-based work environments (ABW environments) often falls short of expectations, with striking differences among individual workers. A better understanding of these differences may provide clues for optimising satisfaction with ABW environments and associated organisational outcomes. The current study was designed to examine how specific psychological needs, job characteristics, and demographic variables relate to satisfaction with ABW environments. Survey data collected at seven organizations in the Netherlands (N = 551) were examined using correlation and regression analyses. Significant correlates of satisfaction with ABW environments were found: need for relatedness (positive), need for privacy (negative), job autonomy (positive), social interaction (positive), internal mobility (positive), and age (negative). Need for privacy appeared to be a powerful predictor of individual differences in satisfaction with ABW environments. These findings underline the importance of providing work environments that allow for different work styles, in alignment with different psychological need strengths, job characteristics, and demographic variables. Improving privacy, especially for older workers and for workers high in need for privacy, seems key to optimizing satisfaction with ABW environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Despite their growing popularity among organisations, satisfaction with activity-based work (ABW) environments is found to be below expectations. Research also suggests that workers typically do not switch frequently, or not at all, between different activity settings. Hence, the purpose of this study is to answer two main questions: Is switching behaviour related to satisfaction with ABW environments? Which factors may explain switching behaviour?Design/methodology/approach Questionnaire data provided by users of ABW environments (n = 3,189) were used to carry out ANOVA and logistic regression analyses.Findings Satisfaction ratings of the 4 per cent of the respondents who switched several times a day appeared to be significantly above average. Switching frequency was found to be positively related to heterogeneity of the activity profile, share of communication work and external mobility.Practical implications Our findings suggest that satisfaction with ABW environments might be enhanced by stimulating workers to switch more frequently. However, as strong objections against switching were observed and switching frequently does not seem to be compatible with all work patterns, this will presumably not work for everyone. Many workers are likely to be more satisfied if provided with an assigned (multifunctional) workstation.Originality/value In a large representative sample, clear evidence was found for relationships between behavioural aspects and appreciation of ABW environments that had not been studied previously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article aims to find predictors of study success from a teacher’s perspective that relate to the built environment. The research is based on a national online survey among 1752 teachers at 18 Dutch Universities of Applied Sciences. Multivariate data analyses were used to test the hypothesis that the quality of spatial and functional aspects at educational institutions is positively related to study success. The results show there is a statistically significant positive relationship between the perceived quality of cleanliness, classrooms, classroom conditions, front office and ICT with study success. Closed environments like offices and meeting rooms, but foremost the size of the education institution, relate negatively to study success. Based on the research findings it is clear that a prime consideration in educational built environment design is to facilitate social interaction, and to create meaningful, clean, self-contained and small-scale physical settings for users within large institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An important challenge for facility management is to integrate the complex and comprehensive construct of different service processes and physical elements of the service facility into a meaningful and functional facility design. The difficulty of this task is clearly indicated by the present study that shows that different employee categories for interpersonal services have quite different perceptions of the facility design that stem from different but coherent needs and interests. Employees with management perspectives (i.e. top managers and facility managers) were significantly more positive about the facility design than frontline employees and their supervisors with providers’ perspectives. Also, providers attributed a more important role to facility design with respect to delivering interpersonal services than management did. We found strong indications for the need for cross-functional cooperation in decision making about the facility design, creating a more balanced setting and possibly empowering providers for the service encounter. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose – This paper's aim is to determine whether shopping facilities in a waiting area influence customer behaviour and whether these behaviours positively influence their satisfaction and related sales of the displayed products. Design/methodology/approach – The approach used was a field experiment. At two sites patient behaviours were directly observed before a reconstruction of waiting areas during two weeks; at both sites a two-week follow-up was performed after the reconstruction. The responses of patients were surveyed in a convenience sample in the same periods of weeks and the data on sales were collected with desk research. Findings – In comparison with waiting areas that were almost empty, customers in a waiting area with shopping facilities had more interaction with the physical environment, experienced a shorter wait, were more satisfied with the prompt taking of orders, and spent more money. Practical implications – Organizations seeking to positively influence patient behaviour during the wait should take into account the quality of facility design of waiting areas and, if well chosen, these facilities can also be used to positively influence satisfaction and sales. Originality/value – This paper integrates theories from environmental psychology, marketing, and operations management in facility design to improve the properties of a waiting area, and by doing so, improve behaviour, satisfaction, and sales of customers. The study aims to inform marketers in the pharmacy shop sector allowing them to increase interaction with the shopping environment, improve customers' satisfaction, and raise customers' expenditures with facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societal developments show that future demands for visualization can be expected to grow. In many areas of organized human activities organizations may turn away from textual and numerical flatlands, and rely on the convenient and multidimensional digital worlds. Virtual worlds for facility management, design, and planning are no exception, it has an enormous potential to help organizations finding the right spaces that fit the human activities they perform. However, a major take-up of virtual worlds in this context allowing a comparison between present and future, is yet to come. Perhaps such applications, interweaving virtual and real worlds in order to design better facilities are at its beginning stages. One thing is clear: sophisticated applications may have remained absent until today, but it will come to us. Digital worlds start to normalize and the design of organizational spaces can benefit from that development. In this current article the effects of the proposed integration of visualization with facilities were studied in a case study design. It was assessed whether the participants would actually change the design, without data on the organizational performance, and to what extent this affected staff satisfaction. This study however showed no design changes and no statistically significant changes in the affective responses of participants between pre-test and post-test stages. However, in this current case the sample size may have been too small for generalization purposes. The connection of virtual worlds with organizational data, which were not applied in this current case but were in fact applied in our earlier studies, may be vital for the efficacy of interactive facility management, design, and planning. It is concluded that data on organizational performance serve as a linking pin between facility management and virtual worlds. Interaction can thus be improved by using organizational data as 'subtitles' which stimulate a more active use of the visualization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For new generations of decision-makers virtual worlds will be a normal part of their lives due to the gaming and filming industries. Their future needs for visualisation, serious gaming, and decision-making in support of new technologies will emerge and grow, and will finally be fulfilled. This development will be especially useful in the context of social architecture for organizations. Virtual reality (VR) allows examination of such models holistically as well as on the decomposed lower levels. With virtual worlds hard calculable facts and algorithms are as important as soft complex systems and the meaning of spaces. VR gives science a reliable escape from the scientific flatlands that are generally presented on paper or screen. Building 3D of social architecture for organizations, as well as 4D for a profound debate about possible future states of these organizations will advance our understanding of the decisions that are successful in this specific context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To determine the frequency and nature of conversations at the counter and of private consultations at three Dutch community pharmacies. Methods In a purposive and convenience sample of three Dutch community pharmacies two work categories were investigated: counter work and consultation room work with self-reporting tally. The study took 6 weeks: 2 weeks at each pharmacy. Main outcome measure The number of care related conversations and consultations emerging in the counter work and consultation room work. Results About 43% of all counter conversations consisted of the provision of pharmaceutical information and 72% of the consultations in the separate consultation room dealt with care related activities. However, only 18 consultations were held in this latter room: 0.4% of all reported conversations. Conclusion The proportion of care related work at the counter and in the consultation room did have significant substance. There are however serious possibilities to change pharmaceutical care for the better. It is suggested that standard procedures at the counter may help increasing care related work. The presence of a separate consultation room may increase the number of consultations held in private, when combined with raising patient awareness of its existence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last years, virtual reality (VR) has been said to offer promise for design visualisation and has started to be included in participatory design methodology. This research provides an overview of the use of VR in architectural design and organizational space design, and explores how this application can be integrated with participatory design. The effects of the proposed integration of participatory design, VR, architecture and organization were studied in two pharmaceutical case studies. It was assessed whether the participants actually changed the design and to what extent this affected staff satisfaction and construction costs. The results show that the design was changed, staff satisfaction improved, and costs were reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is the first to introduce critical systems thinking into a new emerging research strand: the design of organizational space. The study revealed two things. First, critical systems thinking provides a thorough framework to understand the possibilities to connect organization and building; both in a conceptual understanding of the mutual relations and with regard to the practical implications that such connections have. Second, an application of critical systems thinking in an immersive virtual environment resulted in an inspiring debate around all sorts of facts and values of the current and expected future states of organizational space. It raised the awareness about a true interdisciplinary design in organization and architecture and allowed significant improvements to be made. This paper may be also regarded as an introduction to an application of critical systems thinking in other design processes where human and technical systems designs are interwoven. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frail elderly residents and people with dementia (PWD) are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. A nursing home in Washington State reported a case fatality rate of 33.7% among 101 residents.2 COVID-19 poses a great threat for all nursing home residents and PWD in particular. Furthermore, in cases of confirmed infection, the protocol prescribes isolation of the group or ward.[4] Thus, protecting the other residents of the SCU, but potentially endangering all residents in the isolated ward. [Extracted from the article]

In pharmaceutical care research )PCR) a mass of robust general rules has not yet been found. Consequently, the challenge of PCR is that mainly through induction researchers have to study objects which are learning and which are open to environmental influences and, by doing so, researchers have to contribute to both theory and practice. Therefore the characteristics reductionism, repeatability and refutability originated from natural sciences cannot be applied to PCR on a 1:1 basis. PCR should be imitable, defensible, consistent and relevant in order to enable other researchers to agree or disagree with the conclusions and to stimulate new research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1994, a Ph.D. study started regarding pharmacy, organization and management (APOM) in the Netherlands. This article describes the final phase of the study in community pharmacy practice: managerial problems in change to the customer and the difference between supported pharmacy managers and independent ones. It appeared that pharmacy managers experienced problems with the formulation and use of aims, norms, and measurements. Although many organizations operating in the pharmaceutical sector are a good source for new ideas, they lack to have the proper support for these problems. The difference between supported and independent pharmacy managers was minimal in the change to the customer. Pharmacy managers are in need of micro instrumentalization: aims, norms, and monitor instruments for customer activities applicable at their own pharmacy. Moreover, pharmacy managers will have to learn how to deal with the tension between money and care in order to improve the 'grip' on their organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1994, a Ph.D-study started regarding pharmacy, organization and management (APOM) in the Netherlands. The APOM-project deals with the structuring and steering of pharmacy organization. This article describes the summary of the empirical results of a survey in a relatively large sample (n = 169). Generalization to the population of pharmacies in the Netherlands was made. Thought results comprised a total number of seven clusters of priorities of pharmacy mixes. Most pharmacy managers were observed with product and customer activities in the first position; pharmaceutical and customer activities were perceived as the most important. Action results comprised a total number of five clusters of activities of pharmacy mixes. Most pharmacy managers were observed with product and process activities in the first position; pharmaceutical and process activities were performed most frequently. The results showed that the traditional conception of the work in the community pharmacy is still vividly present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1994, a Ph.D. study started regarding pharmacy, organization and management (APOM) in the Netherlands. The APOM project deals with the structuring and steering of pharmacy organization. This article describes a summary of the theoretical background of the project and the empirical results of a pilot study (n=24). No generalization to the population of pharmacies in the Netherlands was made. Three mixes of objectives in pharmacy organization were theoretically postulated; the product mix, the process mix, and the customer mix. Mainly, the purpose of the pilot study was method selection. Additionally, it was studied if thought and action of pharmacy managers corresponded, and, if theoretical pharmacy mixes corresponded with the empirical pharmacy mixes. Two methods were selected to be applied in a survey. Thought and action did not correspond for most pharmacy managers. Thought related to customer and product mainly, and action related to process and customer mainly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]