Abstract
Background: This study aimed to evaluate the design of emergency departÂÂments regarding to the patients’ and staff's privacy, confidentiality and facilities in genÂÂeral teaching hospitals.
Methods: Emergency departments of all the general teaching hospitals of Shahid BeÂÂheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran were evaluated in 2007 through both direct observation and interview with hospital authorities, and staff. ReleÂÂvant criteria were studied by a 27-item questionnaire including 19 items for faciliÂÂties and 7 items for privacy and confidentiality. Extent of emergency departÂÂments was the last common criterion. Data analysis has been done using t-test and descriptive statistics when appropriate. SPSS Software version 16 was used to facilitate quantitative analysis.
Results: Eleven out of nineteen criteria (58%) for the facilities were not found in the emergency departments. Privacy criteria had an overall partially more acceptÂÂable situation. Only one criterion of privacy and confidentiality was negative for all the emergency departments. It was calm gynecologic and delivery room with speÂÂcific toilet. The mean was 469.6 (SD= 96) square meters for existing extent of emerÂÂgency departments and 1461.6 (SD= 262.1) square meters for the ideal valÂÂues (P< 0.01).
Conclusion: Privacy, confidentiality and enough facilities should be considered in designing of teaching hospitals for both stuff and patients. Most of them need to be reconstructed based on new national standards.