UC aims to improve indoor environment in healthcare facilities to reduce transmission of hospital-acquired infections

The University of Coimbra (UC) is developing new human-centric approaches to improve the indoor climate in healthcare facilities and reduce the risk of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs).

The ‘Human-Centric Indoor Climate for Healthcare Facilities (HumanIC)’ project, led by the Technical University of Warsaw and involving the UC Faculties of Science and Technology (FCTUC) and Medicine (FMUC), is a doctoral network funded under the Marie Curie Programme. It aims to reduce the risk of hospital-acquired infections in healthcare facilities.

This research includes and funds the work of eleven doctoral theses being carried out at eight leading European universities. The proposed approach goes beyond traditional methods, which focus solely on buildings and their ventilation and air conditioning systems, by offering solutions that integrate the complex interactions between contamination sources, air flows, and the clinical and energy needs of hospitals.

"There is clear evidence that airflow controls the spread and exposure to airborne pathogens and contaminants in the microenvironments surrounding and close to the human body. Therefore, we want to develop innovative methods to analyse human interactions with microenvironments at risk, such as operating theatres and hospital wards," explains Manuel Gameiro da Silva, professor at the FCTUC's Department of Mechanical Engineering (DEM) and coordinator of the project at UC.

"The objective is to minimise airborne pathogen threats while at the same time ensuring good thermal comfort. By generating new knowledge on the physical processes of transmission and contaminant-airflow interactions, we aim to optimise the design of technical solutions and implement effective methods for controlling the indoor climate in hospitals," says the researcher from the Association for the Development of Industrial Aerodynamics (ADAI).

Through an ambitious research programme and specialised training, the HumanIC network aims to create a new generation of scientists and engineers who understand the implications of these interfaces for future hospital design. This effort is the result of collaboration between leading European academic teams and partners from the HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) and healthcare industries," he stresses.

According to Manuel Gameiro da Silva, the concept of a human-centric indoor climate (HCC) refers to the micro-environment surrounding the human body, with a focus on patient safety and well-being.

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) remain a serious challenge. It is estimated that more than 4 million patients in the European Union acquire infections in hospitals each year, with approximately 80,000 patients affected every day. These infections, exacerbated by antimicrobial resistance, not only pose a high mortality risk but also incur significant costs. Recent studies show that improving the indoor environment in hospitals can reduce the costs associated with airborne diseases by 9 to 20 percent.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of effective hospital design, as many hospitals were forced to operate beyond their normal capacity. This challenge is compounded by climate change, which increases the demand for healthcare due to new heat-related diseases and infections, and the need to maintain comfortable thermal conditions in hospitals without compromising energy efficiency.

The HumanIC project, funded by the European Commission through the Horizon Europe programme with a total value of €2.7 million, will run until 2027 and involves academic and technological partners from a dozen countries.

More information is available on the official website of the project.