Assessment of indoor environmental quality and ventilation in healthcare buildings

Effective hygiene and adequate ventilation are essential for all hospitals and other healthcare settings, as they are tasked with protecting the health of occupants on a daily basis. It is therefore imperative to balance the health and wellbeing of patients, staff and visitors with the economic and sustainability-based factors associated with use of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) and air cleaning systems when designing, equipping, and operating these buildings.

Hospital campuses typically feature several types of building, a vast range of different rooms and spaces (both clinical and nonclinical), and methods of ventilation which will range from natural to fully mechanical, with mixed mode in between.

Many sources of air pollution will be present both inside and outside of healthcare buildings. The extent to which each pollutant will affect occupants will depend on the source strength of the pollutant and its pathway to the occupants. The pathway can be complex and will be highly dependent on the building layout, ventilation system design and operation, opening/closing of doors and windows and other factors. Those most vulnerable to air pollution, i.e. those patients with respiratory and cardiovascular conditions, infants and the elderly, are likely to spend significant periods of time in healthcare settings, making this an area of particular concern.