While misperceptions about the capital cost of Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED)-certified hospitals have some believing that certification can cost more than 10 to 15 percent more than standard practice, a 2012 study shows the actual cost difference closer to 1 percent, according to an article on the Health Facilities Management magazine website.

A 2012 study, "LEED Certified Hospitals: Perspectives on Capital Cost Premiums and Operational Benefits" found that the capital cost premium for LEED-certified hospitals of more than 100,000 square feet was actually less than 1 percent, the article said.

The hospitals included in the study ranged from the smallest, Kiowa County Memorial Hospital, Greensburg, Kan., a rural 15-bed, 49,000-square-foot critical access hospital to the largest, Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, an 830,000-square-foot academic medical center with 386 beds.

The study also suggested that the design sector must increase involvement in the collection of capital cost and operational data from completed facilities to strengthen the LEED value proposition, according to the article.

Read the article.