It’s easy to overlook aesthetics when talking about hospital design, but good and modern hospital design actually has a major positive effect on both staff and patient happiness.
Good design leads the way in creating a beneficial aesthetic, no matter whether we’re talking about buildings or apparel. When it comes to hospitals, building design is the first thing prospective patients notice, and it sets the tone for all their interactions going forward. Here are three reasons why modern hospital design matters and how it impacts daily operations.
Good Design Is Attractive
If you had a choice between visiting an old, run-down hospital and a newer, cleaner one, which would you choose? Obviously, most people would choose the latter, because a clean and well-decorated hospital suggests that its managers are willing to spend money, such as purchasing the newest equipment. Putting a garden or a koi pond in your hospital’s front lobby is not just for looks—it’s a silent message that you care about the quality of your facility.
Good Design Is Healthy
Studies are starting to show that hospital design dramatically affects the mental and physical well-being of both patients and caregivers. Blank walls and dim lighting can make people feel like they’re in a morgue rather than a place where they receive care. Poor design can also affect hospital staff negatively, making it more difficult to do their jobs or causing them to tire more easily.
If you are looking to start upgrading your hospital, one of the best ways to begin is by changing your facility’s lighting. Installing LED lights, opening windows, and other proper lighting setups foster major positive effects, including better sleep for overnight patients and better cognitive function.
Good Design Is Comforting
Out of all the reasons why modern hospital design matters, the one you really need to hear is this: good design aids in making patients happier with their hospital experience. Patients may feel better quicker and are less likely to sue when they feel satisfied with their care, and modern design can have a major positive impact on that feeling of satisfaction. It’s simple psychology: you don’t sue a hospital that you like.
Combined Effects of Good Design
All three of the reasons listed above affect each other in different ways. For example, when doctors and nurses feel happier and more energetic, they are more likely to do their jobs well, resulting in improved patient care and a drastically decreased chance that patients will feel dissatisfied. Good design helps get more patients in the door, improves the quality of the care they receive, and increases their overall satisfaction with the care experience.
It’s easy to overlook hospital design as an aesthetic issue when so much about hospital planning is centered around practical issues and health regulations. But this doesn’t mean that the ambiance of a building doesn’t matter—in fact, a beautiful building is a persuasive argument that a hospital is a reliable healthcare authority and that patients can trust the staff there with their lives.
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