Creating Healing Environments: How Integrated Healthcare Design Can Benefit Patients and Staff
Several hospitals in different parts of the world are creating buzz not just for their excellent healthcare services, but also for their stunning architecture and interiors. Healthcare facilities like the Clemenceau Medical Center in Beirut, for instance, has a reputation for being the most technologically-advanced hospital in Lebanon, and it has also won multiple awards for its sustainable design. Meanwhile, the AdventHealth Waterman hospital in Tavares, Florida is lauded for its rooms with amazing nature views and its comprehensive approach to cancer care.
Research shows that beautiful design can be beneficial for wellness, and it’s why some healthcare facilities have started elevating their building aesthetics. According to Boston University geriatrician and licensed architect Dr. Diana C. Anderson, healthcare architecture is so impactful to patients’ wellbeing that it should be held to the same standard as medication and surgical procedures. “As architects, we have a responsibility to do no harm through our designs,” she explains. This is why apart from having the latest medical equipment, hospitals and clinics should also adopt a unified and patient-centered approach to enhance their buildings. Here’s how integrated design can benefit patients and staff, and create a healthy and healing environment.
Enhances Safety and Security
According to InnerSpace, some of the best and most well-designed healthcare facilities prioritize security to foster patient trust and reduce the costs of adverse events, such as theft. Integrating features such as Wi-Fi enabled locks on carts and cabinets can keep medical supplies safe while increasing efficiency at hospitals and health clinics. Installing a safe in hospital rooms can safeguard personal valuables like cash and jewelry, giving patients peace of mind and allowing them to focus on their healing and treatment. Meanwhile, adding access control systems such as turnstiles and key card readers can restrict entry to areas like pharmacies and data center facilities.
To improve health outcomes and protect staff, healthcare facilities should incorporate features for infection control such as bacteria-resistant surfaces, UV technology in lighting systems, and handwashing stations throughout the entire building. Top-of-the line air filtration and ventilation systems should also be installed to improve indoor air quality and prevent the spread of airborne pathogens.
Reduces Stress and Promotes Healing
Healthcare facilities should be designed in such a way to reduce stress and anxiety, both in patients and workers. Since sunlight can ease stress, improve mood, and promote better sleep, hospitals and clinics should maximize natural light by installing sky lights in waiting areas, hallways, connecting areas, and central atriums. Replacing room windows with casement windows allows more natural light into rooms, and it gives patients a good view of the outdoors while improving air flow and fresh air circulation.
The presence of greenery can also help to create a soothing environment, so management should consider having well-designed gardens and courtyards to improve the psychological and physical health of patients and staff. Adding nature-focused areas, such as an atrium, can incorporate a touch of the outdoors into hospitals while serving as a social space for workers and patients. It can also provide staff with a much-needed break from the intense and exhausting environments of patient rooms and treatment areas. Think about adding indoor plants and trees, seating areas, and water features to the atrium to enhance the therapeutic benefits of the space.
Provides Comfort and Convenience
Modern hospital buildings have started including amenities and services such as retail shops, pharmacies, coffee shops, restaurants, and even mini groceries to create a less institutional atmosphere. Having such amenities can provide staff, patients, and their loved ones access to food, essentials, and small luxuries to make their day a little better. Healthcare facilities may also want to include additional amenities, such as customized lighting and entertainment options for rooms, as well as sleeper sofas for family members for enhanced comfort and convenience.
Healthcare facilities should be designed to improve overall wellbeing. By using an integrated design approach, hospitals and clinics can create a healing environment that will benefit patients and staff, and generate positive health outcomes for all.
