Evidence-based Terminology Showing Up in Other Disciplines
I read an article recently in Health Facilities Management about the devices manufacturers are introducing to measure the success of cleaning environmental surfaces in healthcare facilities. The whole notion of “evidence-based cleaning” seems to be gaining traction.
The same issue of HFM featured an article by Center for Health Design Board Director Emeritus Kirk Hamilton and Zofia Rybkowski on evidence-based construction management.
Hamilton defines evidence-based construction management as “the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence from research, practice and the field, in making critical decisions and predictions, together with an experienced team and informed client, about the delivery of each individual and unique construction project.” This is very similar to the definition he proposed for evidence-based design in 2004 (see EDAC Study Guide 1, p. 3).
It makes sense that an evidence-based process can be applied to other disciplines within the healthcare design, construction, and operations field. This is because, as Hamilton and Rybkowski point out in their article, healthcare administrators and managers who are making decisions about building design, construction, and operations are “aware of evidence-based medicine, evidence-based nursing practice, and data-driven management.”
I worry, though, if we use “evidence-based” in conjunction with too many things, it will make the term less meaningful.. And it’s way too early for that. The science of evidence-based design, construction management, and cleaning is still relatively new. We’ve only just begun.