Designing for infection control in healthcare settings

Infection control awareness in the design and construction community has significantly increased on the back of the COVID-19 pandemic. The issue is critical in healthcare facilities, where the risk of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) is high, and the impact on immunocompromised patients and healthcare workers can be severe.

The threat of HAIs goes beyond COVID-19. There are many types of pathogens that can spread quickly throughout a hospital, many of which are life threatening. Add to this the growth of superbugs that are resistant to medical treatment and thrive in hospital settings. Research indicates that drug-resistant bacterial infections directly caused 1.27 million deaths worldwide in 2019 and can be associated with another 4.95 million deaths.1

These factors have created new challenges around how healthcare buildings are designed and operated. One requirement in reducing the incidence of HAIs is implementing architectural design solutions that address the common ways infections are spread. There are multiple doors solutions that can assist with infection control via surface contamination reduction, while others are also designed to prevent air contamination in high risk areas. The key is knowing what type of door is needed and when.

This whitepaper will examine how infections are spread in healthcare settings and what door solutions should be specified to minimise such risks. We also take a look at the primary design considerations when specifying door solutions for healthcare applications.

Download whitepaper for more information.