The look and feel of a healthcare facility set the tone of how their personnel work and treat their clients.
You spend almost all of your day in the office. Did you know that its interior design affects your productivity? According to a study, healthcare workers like nurses and caregivers are more likely to make mistakes when working in a poorly designed medical facility, putting the patients’ security at risk. On the other hand, a published paper in 2000 says that evidence-based environmental design of healthcare centers enhances medical results. For instance, a well-designed hospital or clinic can reduce a patient’s stress, pain, and blood pressure.
For the last few years, the interior design of health care facilities has changed. The number of office theming companies quickly increased. As a result, you can observe lavish designs and world-class technology when visiting the doctor’s office. In addition, it is now common to find creative dentist office decorations and beautiful and colorful themed murals to catch patients’ attention and lessen pain. Another is a reception area where you can see decorated reception desks. See here an impressive gallery of an underwater-themed dental office.
It might be a waste of money for many because they believe their primary focus should be patient care. However, there are essential benefits to the overall patients’ experience and caregivers’ performance.
Benefits of a Well-Designed Healthcare Facility
Reduce Anxiety
Being at the hospital is already stressful. That’s why the interior design must not add more anxiety to patients, including relatives, physicians, and nurses. Instead, it should raise their mood by developing a vibrant atmosphere.
A room with natural light can have positive effects on the mental and physical health of patients inside. Imagine waking up in a dark room following your painful surgery. Studies show that visual art can improve the psychological health of patients undergoing chemotherapy, surgery, and other severe procedures. Another study also reveals that women in labor can forget their pain when a masterpiece grabs their attention.
Prevent Infection
Interior design is not all about murals, ceiling design, decorations, and arrangement of furniture but also improving the interior of a building to attain a healthier environment for people using the space.
In a healthcare setting, patients who are changing to private treatment and private rooms can prevent infections. A new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine indicates that single-patient hospital rooms most likely prevent multidrug-resistant organism transmission and healthcare related-infections.
Not too long ago, being in a single patient private room was a luxury. Now, it is considered a new standard of care due to its critical role in patient safety, thus reducing the period of hospital days.
Overall Restful Experience
A noisy environment may affect the quality of care that a patient receives. In fact, it is stressful in general, not only for sick people but also the healthy ones. And it is more significant in healthcare settings. This can be minimized by designing rooms with identical layouts and additional space between adjoining walls.
Also, acoustically absorbent ceiling tiles and flooring can reduce sound, and carpets are known to be the best flooring to conceal noise. However, since it is difficult to clean thoroughly and fast, they are not ideal for patient rooms. Instead, they are appropriate to lobbies and hallways.
