Preferences for Indoor Environmental and Social Comfort of Outpatient Staff during the COVID-19 Pandemic, an Explanatory Study

Abstract

While the pressure on hospital workers keeps growing, they are generally more dissatisfied with their comfort than other occupants in hospitals or offices. To better understand the comfort of outpatient workers in hospitals, clusters for preferences and perceptions of the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and social comfort were identified in a previous study before the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This qualitative study explains the outpatient workers’ main preferences for comfort during the COVID-19 pandemic. Semi-structured interviews and photo-elicitation were used. Contextual changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic were included. The questions in the interviews were based on the characteristics of the profiles, corresponding with the clusters. The data were analyzed with content analysis according to the steps defined by Gioia. Seventeen outpatient workers who had been part of the previous study participated. For some outpatient workers differentiation of preferences was illogical due to interrelations and equal importance of the comfort aspects. The main changes in perceptions of comfort due to the pandemic were worries about the indoor air quality and impoverished interaction. Because the occupants’ preferences for comfort can change over time, it was suggested that further development of occupant profiles needs to accommodate changes.

Integration of EBD principles in a futureproof academic hospital from campus to bed

“…The COVID-19 pandemic, which started when the design of the hubs was established, showed the importance of face-to-face contact in hospitals. For example, impoverished interaction was one of the main complaints of hospital workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and was associated with the quality of care and work satisfaction (Eijkelenboom, Ortiz, and Bluyssen, 2021). As the experience centre was delivered recently (2021) and the main building will open in September 2022, evaluation of wellbeing in relation to the EBD principles is not yet possible.…”

Influencing Factors and Symbiotic Mechanism of the Integration of Medical and Disease Prevention during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Public Hospital Employees

“…Items D2: Performance management, D3: Information mechanism, and D5: Training mechanism had relatively large coefficients of observed variables, which indicated that the establishment and improvement of the symbiosis model was of great significance to the effect of the integration of medical and disease prevention in public hospitals. Through the performance management of employees in public hospitals, it was helpful to encourage clinical employees to participate in the integration of medical and disease prevention, thereby improving the effect of the integration of medical and disease prevention [42].…”

Preferences and satisfaction with social comfort of outpatient workers in six hospitals before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…To limit infection risk during the COVID-19 pandemic, some small physical adaptations of furniture were executed, such as stanchions in front of the reception desk or a splash guard at the reception (Eijkelenboom, Ortiz, and Bluyssen, 2021). Therefore, those working at a reception desk found it more difficult to support the privacy of the patients because they had to talk louder.…”

“…Other changes, not related to the building characteristics of the outpatient area, were sensitization and working in other areas, e.g., testing for corona infections or working at home. Those who worked from home and others who worked at the hospital, were missing face-face contact with patients and colleagues (Eijkelenboom, Ortiz and Bluyssen, 2021). They found face-to-face contact especially important because it contributed to their work satisfaction.…”