Addressing Environmental Needs of Immunocompromised Inpatients v1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Understanding and Exploring How to Address the Environmental Needs of Adult Immunocompromised Inpatients
IRAS ID
354373
Contact name
Juliet Davis
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cardiff University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 4 months, 29 days
Research summary
The key question asked by this research is: What do adult immunocompromised inpatients need from their isolation room environment in order that their wellbeing can be optimised? The research originates from the combination of extensive experience gained by the student investigator Jamie Brewster as both a patient and as a practising healthcare architect. The study seeks to build on his personal experience through engagement with staff and former patients at three hospitals. Further engagement is planned in the future with advisory bodies such as NHS Wales Special Estates Services, with whom the research has the potential to influence the design of future healthcare facilities for the benefit of future patients and clinical staff.
The research will specifically consider the needs of adult inpatients undergoing an allogeneic stem-cell transplant within an isolation bedroom setting. It will focus on the design of the isolation room and the extent to which access to external space, natural ventilation, enhanced environmental controls and acoustic privacy can safely improve conditions for room occupants.
Engagement with staff and former patients is planned at three hospital sites in the UK. University Hospital Wales Cardiff (an aged facility), Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre (a recently refurbished facility) and UCLH Grafton Way Building (a brand new facility) have been selected to ensure inpatients from a range of environments are considered in the research.
At each site, semi-structured interviews with former patients who have spent time in an isolation setting undergoing a stem-cell transplant will be undertaken as well as staff who have treated such patients. A 60-minute interview with sixteen former inpatients (8 male, 8 female) and 30 minutes with four staff members is proposed at each site in order to obtain the amount of data deemed necessary to answer the key research question.REC name
Wales REC 3
REC reference
25/WA/0363
Date of REC Opinion
16 Dec 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion