How Can Design Features and Other Factors Affect the Indoor Air Quality in Inpatient Rooms? Check-Lists for the Design Phase, Daily Procedures and Maintenance Activities for Reducing the Air Concentrations of Chemical Pollution

Abstract

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is one of main topics of Public Health on which international institutions and countries are taking action. With regards to healing architectures, several studies have reported data analysis and case studies to improve users’ health (patients, and medical and administrative staffs), but there are not enough regarding volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Regarding chemical pollution of indoor air, the Scientific Community has highlighted that there are several factors that affect the IAQ, in particular the design and management, and energetic efficiency, of inpatient wards. Several stakeholders, from the designers to the managers, are responsible for the indoor air in healing environments. Supported by analysis of the State of the Art and the main factors that influence the heterogeneous scenario of inpatient wards, the paper presents three check-lists, designed for supporting the stakeholders during the design phase, or for the daily procedures and maintenance activities, for pre-assessment of factors that affect chemical pollution, and for the definition of strategies to be applied. In fact, in such environments IAQ assumes a particular meaning and importance, both for the vulnerability of the patients and for the long time spent by the sanitary staff. The multidisciplinary approach emphasizes the continuous need for interdisciplinary knowledge and skills aimed at finding solutions able to protect users’ health status (including patients, workers and visitors), especially in the field of the indoor air issue.