In the upcoming February 2012 issue of HEALTHCARE DESIGN, the CHD Research Report written by Xiaobo Quan, PhD, EDAC, Angali Joseph, PhD, EDAC, and Matthew Jelen, EDAC, discusses the case studies and results of a Pebble Research project focusing on green cleaning in healthcare.

It is becoming clear that there is awareness in the approach to cleaning in hospitals but more data and research is needed. At one point in time it was believed that in order to prevent hospital-acquired infections, certain chemicals were necessary; however there is growing concern that these harsh substances are in fact harmful to the environment, cleaning staff, and patients.

A research team that includes The Center for Health Design, Health Care Without Harm, and the Healthier Hospitals Initiative carried out interviews with five hospitals to study how they have put green cleaning into action.

The study cites selection of cleaning products, operational changes, and building design as some of the main groups to evaluate the implementation of green cleaning. It also emphasizes the call for more information on the value of green products and practices to help decision-makers and staff as they navigate the waters of green cleaning.

Read more about the research in the February issue and be sure to check out other CHD Research Reports in future issues throughout the year.