Throughout history, healthcare Facilities have typically been looked at as generally uninviting. From the smell of disinfectant to the white-hot fluorescent lights, there are countless reasons that patients and their families find these facilities unappealing.

Thankfully, many healthcare organizations are evolving in keyways and have begun to prioritize the creation of more pleasing spaces. Understanding the critical components of inviting medical spaces can give one insight into how healthcare is shifting and advancing.

Here is designing healthcare facilities that comfort and welcome.

Putting Patients at the Center of the Design Process

In Medical Facilities such as clinics and hospitals, there are many practical factors that designers must take into account. This includes factors such as using materials that are easy to clean and utilizing effective lighting for healthcare professionals performing their duties.

However, by only taking practical factors into account, designers end up crafting spaces that are strictly utilitarian but not very inviting for patients. For this reason, putting patients at the center of the design process is a vital aspect of creating beautiful spaces.

In other words, those who design medical facilities can greatly benefit from taking advantage of a creative concept called design thinking. At its core, design thinking is a human-centered approach to creating that prioritizes getting feedback from users and iterating designs. In the context of healthcare facilities, this means involving patients in the process of cultivating spaces.

Designers taking a design-thinking approach would start with patients in mind as well as medical professionals. Instead of only trying to make the spaces effective for medical processes, designers would also think about ways to make patients feel comfortable.

After coming up with a design, it’s up to designers to get feedback from real patients who will eventually frequent these facilities. By gleaning insight from this feedback, designers can alter their designs and truly capture a comforting and inviting essence in spaces.

Factors that Can Make Healthcare Facilities More Inviting

While many of us are aware of the aspects of medical facilities that feel cold and impersonal, it’s a little trickier to put one’s finger on what makes a space inviting. Fortunately, having a rough idea of what these factors are can make understanding the design of medical spaces far simpler.

Some key elements that can make medical spaces more inviting include:

• Natural materials: As opposed to produced materials such as linoleum and plastic, natural materials such as wood evoke feelings of comfort in humans. Often this is because materials like this would typically indicate we’re in a home or another space where one can relax and let their guard down. This being the case, using more natural materials in medical facilities can make them far more comforting for patients.
• Warm lighting: While there are areas of medical facilities that require strong, harsh lighting so that healthcare professionals can perform their roles, not all spaces need it. In areas such as waiting rooms and cafeterias, soft and warm lighting can have a calming presence that puts patients and their loved ones at ease.
• Colors: Though the color of walls, floors, and furniture may seem insignificant, it can actually have a significant effect on one’s perception and experience of a space. For example, colors such as light blue and light green are known to help people feel more tranquil. As such, being mindful of calming colors and utilizing them in medical facilities can help boost patient experiences and leave them feeling more welcome.
• Accessible mental health resources: While it’s not a common design fixture, accessible mental health resources can be incredibly beneficial for medical facilities. Oftentimes, patients and their families are dealing with stressful situations while at medical facilities. This being the case, having clearly marked areas for mental health resources can help people feel more welcome.
• Comfortable furniture: No matter how well-decorated a space is, having to sit in an uncomfortable chair will definitely make it less inviting. It stands to reason then that medical facilities can become far more comfortable for patients by utilizing comfortable furniture in their spaces. By prioritizing patients’ comfort and investing in the right type of furniture, designers can transform the way patients experience medical facilities.
• Art: Some cheerful and relaxing art on the walls can go a long way when it comes to making a space feel welcoming. The opposite is also true and barren walls often make people uncomfortable. For this reason, prioritizing art in medical facilities can help make these spaces feel more inviting and calming rather than dreary and stressful.

The Future of Medical Facilities Is Welcoming

As healthcare evolves in keyways, so should the spaces where patients go to be treated and cared for. By utilizing design thinking principles to put patients at the center of the design process, healthcare organizations can create inviting spaces that patients enjoy visiting.

Hopefully, more and more healthcare organizations will start to prioritize the cultivation of warm and welcoming spaces in the years to come.

Photo Credit

Image by Intoex 100 from Pixabay

Guest Author Bio
Sarah Daren

With a Bachelor’s in Health Science along with an MBA, Sarah Daren has a wealth of knowledge within both the health and business sectors. Her expertise in scaling and identifying ways tech can improve the lives of others has led Sarah to be a consultant for a number of startup businesses, most prominently in the wellness industry, wearable technology and health education. She implements her health knowledge into every aspect of her life with a focus on making America a healthier and safer place for future generations to come.