The right safeguards used within a healthcare facility’s infrastructure can mean better outcomes, increased patient satisfaction and safety and a reduction in costs, according to an article on the FacilityCare website.

Clinical staff focus on providing patient care, but rarely understand how the hospital’s structure could benefit a patient’s well-being, the article said. Meanwhile, the facility management staff might not understand how the physical structure can support patient wellness.

Researchers they found a model that addresses this disconnect — the human autonomic nervous system (ANS). The ANS regulates the physiological structure of the body unconsciously so humans can focus their thinking on functional activities.

The body’s strategy can inform a well-designed hospital in a number of ways, including:

• A functional layout that reduces opportunities for infections, falls and human errors

• Barriers against infection transmission from external sources

Read the article.