The Necessity of Ergonomic Considerations in Accreditation of Hospitals with Emphasize on Elderly Features

The objective of hospital accreditation is to increase the safety and satisfaction of patients and employees, with the contribution of which can be achieved through environmental adaption. The present study aimed to explain the necessity of using ergonomic considerations in the process of hospital accreditation. This methodological study was designed in 2018 and simultaneously conducted with the psychometric evaluation and validation of the structural fitness assessment tool of age-friendly hospitals. The determination of the structural components was done by examining the texts and validating the items using the Delphi method. After determining the content validity, classification of items into mandatory or essential sections was made by obtaining at least two thirds and one thirds of the experts votes, respectively. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data processing. The processing of expert opinion about 72 items (content validity) showed that the majority of subjects (55 items equivalent to 76%) were mandatory or essential, with the highest proportion of mandatory cases being made by the gerontologists, and the least architectural experts. Considering the growth of the elderly population in the country and, on the other hand, the high contribution of the elderly to the treatment centers, and the necessity or basicity of the majority of tool items, the application of ergonomic principles in the accreditations seems necessary.