The Importance of Selecting the Right Hospital Doors - Dortek

Here’s some advice about key design considerations when specifying doors in hospitals and other hygiene critical facilities.

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Since microorganisms can be transmitted by contact, choosing the right doors can make a huge difference to infection control. Hospital doors can be a major source of contamination as they are the piece of equipment which is touched the most by patients and staff. Hospital doors are also vital for controlling clean air and traffic flow. This is why it’s crucial that the correct door is chosen as it can significantly affect the risk of infection.

Making the right door choice

When specifying hospital doors, considering the following points will not only help infection control, but it will also ensure building regulations are met and the doors operate efficiently, with a long, trouble-free lifespan.

• Hygiene performance
• Inorganic door construction
• X-ray and laser protection
• Hermetic sealing for clean air control
• Fire and smoke regulations
• Automations and accessibility
• Strength, durability and maintenance requirements
• Sound insulation
• Life cycle costs.

Choose Hygienic Door Materials

One of the most important aspects of a successful infection control policy, is choosing the correct materials for both the construction of the room and the components within it.

The Health Building Note 00-09: ‘Infection control in the built environment’ offers valuable guidance for architects and specifiers. ‘Doors should be cleanable, that is, smooth, non-porous and fluid resistant’. This is particularly crucial in areas where infection control is paramount.

Hospital doors should be carefully selected to ensure they are constructed using an inorganic hygienic material such as GRP (Glass Reinforced Polyester). Doors should also be easy to clean and resistant to moisture and disinfection procedures. A smooth construction should be defined as seamless with no texture, voids, reveals or laminated components which can harbor bacteria.

Specifying hygienic GRP doors for infection control

Hygienic GRP hospital doors are manufactured from a high technology moulded composite which has been independently tested. Laboratory tests conducted by IMSL (Industrial Microbiological Services) prove that hygienic GRP doors help prevent bacterial and fungal growth. Dortek Hygienic GRP doors have been independently tested by IMSL for resisting infections such as MRSA, Aspergillus Niger, Staphylococcus Aureus & E Coli.

Critical to the doors hygienic performance is its one-piece moulded GRP construction with no seams, joints or voids where bacteria, dust or dirt can build up undetected. The inorganic construction and water repellency of Dortek doors provides no sustenance for harmful microorganisms. Hygienic GRP hospital doors have no lips, joins or edges (even around vision panels). They have an easy to clean surface which is unaffected by moisture or common cleaning chemicals and disinfectants. Colour is also built into the gel coat of the door to provide continuous long-lasting protection, which is not reduced by impact damage.

Hermetic sealing for clean air control

Hermetically sealing doors should always be considered for reducing cross contamination through air flow in high risk areas such as operating rooms and patient isolation areas.

Hygienic GRP hospital doors can be supplied with hermetic sealing options for controlling air. Hermetic hygienic doors have a unique patented track system so it seals perfectly against the floor and frame. The efficiency of the seal has been officially tested and results show it to be over 99% effective thus helping to reduce the spread of airborne infections, cross contamination and air handling costs.

Third party tested fire ratings and lead protection

In certain areas of a hospital, evacuation in the event of a fire is almost impossible. Intensive care units and operating theatres are obvious examples. Fire doors are often the first line of defence in a fire and their correct specification can be the difference between life and death for building occupants.

Hygienic GRP doors have a vermiculite-core and can provide up to 4 hours fire protection. Vermiculite is a mined mineral rock, which is classed as non-combustible. Hygienic GRP fire doors have been third party tested and have a patented concealed intumescent strip built into the door. This maintains a smooth seamless profile ensuring that there are no seams or ledges where dirt and germs can gather.  It is also ideal for high traffic areas as it never comes lose or needs to be replaced. Hygienic GRP doors can also be supplied with x-ray ratings and sound insulation for the added protection of patients and staff.

Touchless automations to reduce cross contamination

Hygienic GRP Doors can be automated to provide hands-free entry and further reduce the risk of infection. The doors use an intelligent automation which is key for user safety. The automations react to the smallest obstruction and photo sensors stop the door from closing onto passing traffic. Doors can also be provided with access control systems, locking and interface with BMS (Building Management Systems) for extra security.

Durability and life cycle costs

With sustainability at the forefront of the healthcare sector, doors which require frequent servicing or redecoration should always be avoided. Hygienic GRP doors are up to 42% lighter than wood or laminate doors. This removes any need for expensive maintenance work or replacement due to excessive wear on hinges and closers. GRP is an exceptionally strong and heavy-duty material which gives it the lowest whole life cycle costs in comparison to other alternatives.

Complete project management from specialists with over 50 years’ experience

Dortek has over 50 years’ experience working in the healthcare sector and has completed over projects for the NHS, international healthcare authorities and the private sector.

Dortek’s in-house project managers work with architects to provide fully integrated, hygienic door systems which help to improve both infection control rates and operational costs. Dortek hygienic GRP doors are extremely versatile and can meet a wide variety of performance characteristics to suit all healthcare applications. This includes requirements for hygiene, fire ratings, smoke, air sealing control, touch-free automations, x-ray and laser protection, acoustics, water resistance, infection control and durability.

For these reasons Dortek hygienic GRP doors are specified by hospitals, architects, healthcare planners and infection control departments across the world.

Just some of the hospital’s already benefiting from using Dortek’s hygienic GRP hospital doors.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of hospital room door. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

Patient rooms that incorporate connected smart technology can improve your hospital’s operations, your staff’s efficiencies, and your patients’ experience.

But there are some basic considerations to factor in before you purchase or install new technology.

Why hospital smart rooms are a smart decision

When weighing if smart rooms are worth it for your hospital, consider the wide-reaching benefits of:

• Improved clinical outcomes thanks to dynamic communications channels, on-demand education about health conditions, and easy access to individualized care plans

• Enhanced patient experience thanks to personalized displays, autonomous bedside and mobile controls, and soothing comforts when they need it most

• Higher efficiency and fewer unnecessary in-room visits thanks to integrated virtual care solutions and systems that have patient-driven features and requests

• Greener practices thanks to automations tied to occupancy status or time of day, energy-efficient displays, and control ranges for room environment selections

• Better planning for future initiatives based on patient feedback about preferences and usage of features

What to consider with hospital smart rooms

Deciding you want your patient rooms to have smart technology comes with a lot of options. Here are 10 considerations to keep in mind as your hospital creates smart rooms:

1. What are your goals?

First determine what you want to accomplish before focusing on how to accomplish it. Selecting technology that fits your goals will help make sure your decisions bring value and fit cohesively with your organization’s priorities.

2. Do you have the right team?

Find consultants who know these technology systems and infrastructures inside and out. They can help you architect how the smart room tech is going to fit within your world — making sure it’s easy to use, reliable, beneficial and seamlessly integrated.

3. What do the end users want?

Any technology you’re considering should improve patient experience and staff satisfaction. Think about:

• Will the new tech add to staff workloads, or help make them more efficient?
• What options can you give to patients that can make them feel at ease and connected to their care team?
• Are there room controls that patients can adjust from the bedside (saving a nurse call and preventing falls)?

4. What input devices will you have?

Think about where and how you’ll offer smart room features. Consider the in-room TVs, bedside tablets, pillow speakers, voice assistants, telehealth solutions, patient mobile devices (BYOD), automatic feeds based on ADT or real-time location system (RTLS), and more.

5. What’s the full potential?

A lot of decisions are made without enough information or input about how to maximize the value of the technology.

For example, many hospitals think of integrating temperature controls for patients, when they should also consider integrating controls for lights and window blinds as well.

Other didn’t consider that lighting controls aren’t just “on” and “off.” Smart controls can be put in place to adjust light levels, and to separate zone configurations in various parts of the room.

6. Do you have the right systems and wiring?

Make sure you choose the correct technology for your needs, and wire it appropriately.

For example, I’ve worked with customers who bought smart blinds but didn’t run the right wires to control them — or didn’t buy smart blinds at all, assuming they could be wired to be remotely controlled.

The room controls for temperature, lights and blinds can all be integrated with your Building Automation System (BAS) to offer the best capabilities for you and your patients.

7. What are the infrastructure needs?

For each technology system, factor in:

• Power: Does the display need 120VAC, DC or PoE (Power over Ethernet)?

• Wiring: Will existing RF coax or IP cabling support the technology, or is an upgrade required? Is there wiring where additional digital displays will be added? Does the wiring connect correctly to your BAS?
• Connectivity: Does the system need to be connected via wired Ethernet, or can it work off Wi-Fi? Do you have a unified or segregated LAN? How will BYOD functions be handled on your Wi-Fi? Would a private LTE or 5G network be best for your system needs?
• Retrofitting: Is there cabling already in the room that can be converted and connected to new devices? Are there switch ports or unused data ports in the room you can leverage?

8. Are your systems connected?

Think about how smart room technology can tie different systems together to really provide an extraordinary experience for your patients.

For example, your goals can inform if you should incorporate:

• Interfaces driven by EHR and ADT information to personalize displays
• Mobile or voice-activated controls for the TV to offer familiar and contactless control
• RTLS and Active Directory features on digital whiteboards and digital door signs to improve care team coordination and connections
• BAS integrations with ADT to remotely reset and regulate temperature, lights and shades

9. What’s the TCO?

Don’t just compare upfront costs when deciding what smart technology to add to patient rooms. Consider the total cost of ownership (TCO).

Factor in the impact of more efficient LED display models, the cost and support requirements for in-room hardware, how many separate devices need to be maintained, and how extensively the installation, implementation and ongoing usage of smart technology will affect your hospital’s operations.

10. What’s the long-term plan?

We know technology will evolve, and the demands being placed on your hospital will change over time.

If your organization strategically designs and architects smart room technology, it will be easier to evolve in the future, and to efficiently adapt the same strategy in additional locations.

Hospital smart rooms: Next steps

Smart rooms are really complex. There’s a lot of considerations to factor in, from the display make and model, to the handheld devices, to the wiring and infrastructure in each room, to new construction or retrofitting, to the integrations needed to create connected experiences.

The good news is you don’t have to make these decisions all on your own.

Focus on what you want to accomplish, not what technology is available. What experience do you want to give to patients and staff? Let technology partners like SONIFI Health craft how that actually implements and connects on a cohesive system for your hospital.

Whether you’re renovating, building or upgrading, set yourself up for success by making smart decisions about smart rooms.

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