An important trend in hospital design in the U.S. is premised on the belief that the constructed environment can have significant effects on patient safety. Less clear is the nexus between patient safety and employee safety. a participatory design initiative at a large health maintenance organization in the U.S. provides an opportunity to explore the role of direct caregivers and support staff in the design of safe healthcare facilities. This paper describes the potential contribution of human factors research to facilities design, the structure of employee involvement in design at this site, progress to date, and barriers preventing the full benefits of this effort.
