The current state of evidence for private patient rooms

What is it about?

This systematic review considered the evidence published since 2006 following the decision to require private rooms in U.S. hospitals. The review includes studies from multiple countries, settings, and outcomes. The best current evidence reflects some form of advantage for private rooms (87% of studies) with supporting evidence found for: communication, infection control, noise reduction/perceived sleep quality, preference/perception. The issue of private rooms is complex and the outcomes are not always dichotomous (either solely positive results suggesting benefits or solely negative results suggesting disadvantages). The decision for private rooms must be considered along with organizational policies, procedures, and models of care; the capabilities and limitations of the people using the facility; and the physical environment (for example, unit configuration, room layout), as well as inherent trade-offs such as (for example, privacy advantages and isolation disadvantages).

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Why is it important?

The use of private patient rooms continues to be debated internationally. This systematic review provides the current state of the science.