LEED CERTIFICATION AND PATIENT WELLBEING IN GREEN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES

ABSTRACT
Beyond resource efficiencies, green buildings aim to create healthy indoor environments for building occupants. In terms of improving occupant well-being, a unique case emerges for healthcare facilities, whose patients may be at a vulnerable state. In the U.S., the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system has become the most widely recognized certification system for green buildings, including green healthcare facilities and buildings. Hospitals with high total scores in the LEED rating system are green buildings but may not necessarily be the optimal green healthcare environment from a patient’s wellbeing perspective. Certified health-care facilities were analyzed in terms of their credit valuation to assess whether health-care facilities prioritize specific criteria that influence patient wellbeing and recovery time. Analysis of results indicate hospitals may be valuing the level of certification more than those credits that were deemed relevant for patient wellbeing and rate of recovery, either due to lack of information or due to economic constraints. To consolidate the previous results and to compare the performance of LEED certified green hospitals to the national average, the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey was analyzed for patients’ perspectives on the healthcare facility. Results indicate higher satisfaction in green hospitals’ overall patient care performance as well as a greater tendency to recommend green hospitals to others compared to the national average. No statistical significance was found for hospital cleanliness and quietness between green hospitals and the national average.


HIGHLIGHTS


Hospital LEED scores not directly aligned with credits that affect patient wellbeing


HCAHPS survey results compared green hospitals to the national average


Overall patient satisfaction 3.6% higher in green hospitals versus non-green hospitals


Patients self-reported 5.6% more likeliness to recommend green hospitals to others


No statistical difference observed for hospital cleanliness or quietness