The Health and Care Infrastructure Research and Innovation Centre delivers world class research to support better healthcare through better infrastructure. Read more »
DOWNLOAD THE HaCIRIC BROCHURE
FOLLOW US ON TWITTERINTRODUCING HaCIRIC PROJECTS
Tackling the daunting challenges facing healthcare systems will often require system redesign. That’s why HaCIRIC's research programme focuses on the relationships between three fields - technology, services and infrastructure – and how they can be combined in new ways.
HaCIRIC brings together researchers from many disciplines, including economics, engineering, architecture, psychology, management and policy studies. HaCIRIC currently has a growing team of researchers working on more than 30 projects. We research key questions, but we also model potential solutions and disseminate the learning so that care systems can accomplish vital structural innovation.
Assessing Transport Implications of Healthcare Facility Reconfiguration using GIS
Transport accessibility to healthcare facilities is a major issue in the United Kingdom and has been recently demonstrated by the shift away from providing healthcare in acute hospitals to ‘care closer to home’. World Health Organization (WHO) considers accessibility to healthcare facilities as an essential right for all people. Read more »
Hospital productivity: the role of layout and people circulation
The goal of this project is investigate the impact of hospital layout and people circulation on hospital performance Read more »
Evaluation of Standard Tools and Datasets used in the building of Healthcare Environments
This project aims to evaluate the costs and benefits of imposing mandatory standards to patients, NHS staff and DH Read more »
An organisational analysis of North West London Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC).
This project aims to devise and evaluate a systematic approach for the rapid adoption of clinically effective interventions. It will develop a model for the conduct and application of health research that is transferable across the NHS, and develop research capacity and capability across northwest London. Read more »
An economic analysis of North West London Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC).
The project aims to evaluate the sustainability of CLAHRC as an organisational entity and evaluate the economic aspects of the program. This includes the economic evaluation of single projects (cost-benefit/cost-effectiveness analysis) and a broader economic evaluation of CLAHRC. Read more »
The feasibility of natural ventilation strategies in healthcare buildings
The physical characteristics of healthcare facilities can have positive impacts on the occupants.They can reduce the level of anxiety and stress, and aid patient recovery. The concept of designing therapeutic environments is not new; however, the relationships between environmental stimulus and response are complex and not fully understood. Read more »
Creating a Project-Based Learning-Loop within the Construction Phase of Healthcare Infrastructure Projects
This project investigates how a construction quality system can be used to capture construction related lessons learnt and feed them back into the design stage of future healthcare Read more »
The impact of technological innovation on utilisation and costs
Technological change is considered the main driver of healthcare costs. Yet it is puzzling that a number of new technologies are simultaneously associated with lower unit costs and higher total costs. Treatment expansion and substitution provide a possible explanation for this: new technologies tend to be complements rather than substitutes for older technologies. A greater focus on changes in utilisation besides unit costs may provide important insights into why technological change is increasing costs, and what can be done about it. Read more »
Travel plan for healthcare professionals
This project aims to develop an integrated decision support tool based on agent-based modelling and GIS to inform policies and strategies to promote active travel among healthcare professionals. Read more »
Technological and service innovation in stroke care
Stroke is the third leading cause of death and the single largest cause of long-term severe disability in the UK. Yet there is a lack of integration between the many authorities, professionals and stakeholders involved in stroke care. Read more »
Stakeholder engagement in healthcare infrastructure provision: From specification to understanding
To investigate the ways that construction actors engage with other stakeholders in the design, construction and operation of complex healthcare facilities, using two healthcare projects as its empirical focus. Read more »
Modelling complex urban environments
his project aims to explore the potential applications of complexity theory in guiding the design and implementation of effective interventions, CABE Read more »
Embedding Patient-level Information and costing Systems in the Health System: Implementing and Using PLICS
The Department of Health (DH) is currently introducing a new cost accounting method in NHS trusts, known as patient-level information and costing system (PLICS). Read more »
Use of Modelling Tools
The project addresses the issue of the role of simulation modelling in the planning of health care infrastructure and services. Simulation models can result in improved stakeholder buy-in, creative problem solving and more effective decision processes. Read more »
Quantifying the Benefits of Healthcare Infrastructure Development
The project aims to establish the principles of representing stakeholders’ judgements of benefit “worth” in financial terms and to successfully translate... Read more »
A research evaluation of a new day surgery unit in a NHS acute trust
Over the past ten years, there has been a rapid expansion in the rates of day surgery cases. Increasing the number of day surgeries further is central to current government reforms in the NHS and is at the top of the NHS Modernisation Agency’s "10 high impact changes". Read more »
Demand driven innovation: European Structural Fund supported healthcare projects
The aim of this research is to develop a detailed understanding of how the use of EU Structural Funds stimulate innovation in long-term, complex healthcare infrastructure projects by investigating the planning, procurement and operate phase of these projects. The work will contribute to academic literature and debates on demand led innovation and public procurement and innovation with a focus on complex, long-term healthcare services and infrastructure projects. Read more »
Generic modelling of care pathway for infrastructure design briefing
It is vital that we understand care pathways properly so that the design of infrastructure provides optimal support for those pathways as cost-effectively as possible. Read more »
Design for Flexibility and Change within health service providers
The NHS is involved in a profound transformation process as it strives to keep pace with, and shape, changes in our society. Read more »
Performance Metrics: The measurement of the performance of healthcare service delivery
This research aims to explore the impact of the built environment on healthcare service delivery performance through the development of a multi-dimensional performance measurement framework. Read more »
Improving the Therapeutic Performance of Healthcare Spaces: Modelling, Simulation and Visualisation (MSV) Aesthetics and Lighting
The physical characteristics of healthcare facilities can have positive impacts on the occupants.They can reduce the level of anxiety and stress, and aid patient recovery. Read more »
Optimisation of luminous environments of healthcare spaces
The physical characteristics of healthcare facilities can have positive impacts on the occupants.They can reduce the level of anxiety and stress, and aid patient recovery. The concept of designing therapeutic environments is not new; however, the relationships between environmental stimulus and response are complex and not fully understood. Read more »
Objective assessment of hospital ward cleaning using hygiene surveillance and continuous improvement process tools
HaCIRIC runs a new multidisciplinary research programme on controlling healthcare associated infections (HCAI) such as Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Clostridium difficile. Read more »
A Comprehensive Evaluation of the Implementation and Impact of Telecare and Telehealth across Health and Social Care − the Whole System Demonstrator (WSD) Evaluation
The Whole System Demonstrators (WSD) programme, the largest trial of telecare and telehealth in the UK to date, is a part of the Government’s plan to invest in innovative technologies that shift care away from acute services to primary care and the home. It aims to provide better quality of care for the increasing number of people with long-term conditions. Read more »
Implementation of Therapeutic Daylight on Architectural Design of Hospital Buildings to Accelerate Clinical Recovery
The physical characteristics of healthcare facilities can have positive impacts on the occupants.They can reduce the level of anxiety and stress, and aid patient recovery. Read more »
Strategic Asset Management and Integrated Service Provision within the Healthcare Sector
The delivery of health and social care in the UK is undergoing profound change and being redesigned to provide high quality services, better capacity and performance. This is taking place in a context of increased local autonomy in the provision of services and the introduction of national, evidence-based standards and inspection. Read more »
An integrated approach to the design of high quality healthcare space and flexible layouts using Modelling, Simulation and Visualisation (MSV)
The NHS has recently undertaken a major programme of investment and reform. The Department of Health has recommended that the design of new healthcare facilities and refurbishment of existing buildings should be flexible enough to cope with changing patient expectations, new treatments and medical advances. Read more »
The Design of Sustainable Healthcare Infrastructure: Improving Resilience, Energy and Waste Management
This project aims to develop a framework to enhance the sustainability of healthcare facilities, initially focussing on improving resilience, and reducing energy consumption Read more »
Optimisation of spatial layout in healthcare facilities
This project aims to develop methodologies to optimise the space layout of healthcare facilities as an evidence based design considering the factors influencing the space planning in the context of hospital design and integrate automated layout planning and mathematical optimisation techniques in the decision making process. Read more »
Improving Whole Life Value of Healthcare facilities through better briefing and optioneering
The physical characteristics of healthcare facilities can have positive impacts on the occupants.They can reduce the level of anxiety and stress, and aid patient recovery. Read more »
A Framework for Refurbishment of Healthcare Facilities
This project aims to show how to reduce the energy consumption of existing healthcare facilities and to deliver a framework for doing so. Read more »
Reducing Construction Waste in Healthcare facilities: A Project Lifecycle Approach.
The project has been designed to develop a life cycle construction waste minimisation framework for healthcare facilities. Read more »
Building Information Models and complex healthcare infrastructure delivery: Development, application, benefits and challenges.
The project aims to follow the processes of developing, implementing and integrating data-oriented technologies for the design... Read more »
Modelling the Effects of Ubiquitous Monitoring on Staff and Patient Behaviour in Healthcare
The project examines how ubiquitous monitoring influences human behaviour in Intelligent Pervasive Spaces... Read more »
Improving the Therapeutic Design of Healthcare Environments through Modelling, Simulation, and Visualisation (MSV)
The physical characteristics of healthcare facilities can have positive impacts on the occupants.They can reduce the level of anxiety and stress, and aid patient recovery. The concept of designing therapeutic environments is not new; however, the relationships between environmental stimulus and response are complex and not fully understood. Read more »
Healthcare facilities: The environment and users’ behaviour, and how these relate to the acquisition of hospital acquired infection. A pilot study
HaCIRIC runs a multidisciplinary research programme on controlling healthcare associated infections (HCAI) such as Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Clostridium difficile. Read more »
Effects of the built environment on health
Every day, thousands of people experience the pressure of a hospital environment. Inappropriate surroundings can aggravate anxiety, depression, stress and emotional exhaustion, among other effects. Read more »
Adaptability and Innovation in Healthcare Facilities (fully funded via Howard Goodman Fellowship)
The need to design and build hospitals that can adapt to changing conditions – as policies, technologies and care practices evolve – has long been recognised. In the UK, the 1960s and 1970s saw a wave of innovative designs in hospitals to meet this need. Read more »
PARTNERS ORGANISATIONS
