A New Tool Applies Research to Assisted Living Design

描述(申请人提供)：建成的环境可以通过满足长期护理环境中居民的行为需求来促进健康。即使是适度的户外活动，也可能会增加活动量，接触自然环境，从而有益于身心健康。众所周知，辅助生活居民重视户外通道并感受到健康益处，但由于户外区域和过渡区的设计，他们经常不愿外出。在成本几乎或没有增加的情况下，提供商行业可以通过应用环境行为原则来设计更成功的户外通道，但现有信息的格式不容易应用于设施设计。这个第二阶段的SBIR项目将创建一个交互式多媒体教育系列，以一种开发商、业主运营商、建筑师和规划官员易于理解和应用的方式，将这些原则传达给辅助生活行业的关键决策者。在第一阶段，开发了一个原型来测试这种方法的可行性，作为一个基于CD的样本程序，该程序随后被行业专业人士评估为值得进一步开发为第二阶段的最终产品。对于第二阶段，具体目标将是：目标1)基于为整合现有研究而进行的翻译研究和入驻后评估，开发完整系列的主题；目标2)创建构成教育经验的视觉、口头、交互和教学部分，结合在第一阶段中学到的改进；和目标3)制作基于光盘的多媒体系列的最后综合版本，利用互动学习概念满足广大目标受众的不同技能，并有一个用户友好的界面，将信息与活动和挑战结合起来。第一阶段为一个学习模块制定了原型格式和初步主题，第二阶段将完善格式，进行进一步研究以确认主要的行为原则，并创建一套全面的学习模块。在第二阶段进行的研究将对循证治疗设计领域的研究人员和设计者都有用。第三阶段将与一家成熟的教育出版商合作，利用长期护理和保健设计行业内的分销网络，利用在第一阶段评估过程中建立的联系，开发和销售该产品。应用该产品的设施将通过更好地满足居民的需求而获得竞争优势。由于这种创新的学习工具将积极营销，并高度以应用为导向，预计它将对未来辅助生活设施的户外通道设计产生重大影响。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The built environment can promote health by meeting the behavioral needs of residents in long-term care settings. Spending even moderate amounts of time outdoors can potentially benefit mental and physical health by increasing activity levels and providing contact with natural environments. Assisted living residents are known to value outdoor access and perceive health benefits, but are frequently discouraged from going outdoors by the design of outdoor areas and transition zones. With little or no increase in cost, the provider industry could design more successful outdoor access by applying environment-behavior principles, but the available information is not formatted in a way that is easily applied to facility design. This Phase II SBIR project will create an interactive multimedia educational series to convey these principles to key decision makers in the assisted living industry, in a way that is easily understood and applied by developers, owner operators, architects, and planning officials. In Phase I, a prototype was developed to test the feasibility of this approach, as a sample CD-based program that was subsequently evaluated by industry professionals as being worth developing further into the final product in Phase II. For Phase II, the Specific Aims will be: Aim 1) Develop the subject matter for the complete series, based on translational research and post-occupancy evaluations conducted to integrate existing research; Aim 2) Create the visual, verbal, interactive, and instructional components that comprise the educational experience, incorporating improvements learned in Phase I; and Aim 3) Produce a final comprehensive version of the CD-based multimedia series, using interactive learning concepts to address the diverse skill sets of a broad target audience, with a user-friendly interface that combines information with activities and challenges. While Phase I developed a prototype format and preliminary subject matter for one learning module, Phase II will refine the format, conduct further research to confirm the primary behavioral principles, and create a comprehensive set of learning modules. The research conducted in Phase II will be useful to both researchers and designers in the field of evidence based therapeutic design. Phase III will develop and market the product in collaboration with an established educational publisher, using distribution networks within the long-term care and healthcare design industries, from contacts that have been established during the Phase I evaluation process. Facilities applying the product will gain a competitive edge by better meeting the needs of residents. Because this innovative learning tool will be marketed aggressively and is highly application-oriented, it is expected to have a significant impact on future design of outdoor access at assisted living facilities.