Associations of Patient and Staff Outcomes With Inpatient Unit Designs Incorporating Decentralized Caregiver Workstations: A Systematic Review of Empirical Evidence.

Although varying degrees of caregiver workstation decentralization in inpatient units are now common, the literature addressing the impacts of such designs is of very low quality and shows inconsistency in associated outcomes. Rigorous, well-designed studies with consistently defined design and outcome measures are needed for greater confidence in determining any effects of decentralized unit design.