Standardization in Healthcare Environments: A Scoping Review

BackgroundHealthcare systems are complex environments, and standardization is often viewed as a strategy to streamline complexity, reduce variability, improve patient safety, and enhance operational efficiency. While standardization has proven effective in industries such as aviation, nuclear plants, and manufacturing, its applicability in healthcare for its intended outcomes remains fundamentally contested. Additionally, current literature lacks a consistent definition or taxonomy of standardization in healthcare facility design. This creates conceptual ambiguity in both research and practice.ObjectiveThe aim of the scoping review is to develop a comprehensive understanding of the role of standardization in the healthcare-built environment, specifically focusing on inpatient settings, by examining how it has been studied and applied across healthcare settings.MethodThis review systematically searched peer-reviewed literature using the PRISMA-Scr structured framework to identify studies examining standardization in the healthcare-built environment. The review examined five databases using the Population, Concept, and Context framework, which guided keyword selection.ResultsThe review included 28 articles and analyzed the aspects of standardization that have been studied, the rationale for its application, the implementation approach, and reported positive and negative outcomes across inpatient settings.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that the approach of standardization remains theoretical and conceptual, with very few studies empirically evaluating its outcomes. The existing literature suggests that standardization can reduce cognitive workload, improve workflow efficiency, and enhance safety when aligned with clinical processes and organizational culture. However, its implementation is challenged by the complexity and variability of healthcare delivery practices, resistance related to clinical autonomy, and limited integration across systems.