“If a place can make you happy, can it also make you well?” – Esther Sternberg
Healthcare architecture needs recalibration, and designing the right built environment will help recuperate the losses faced over the past years due to systemic failures. Healthcare facilities are no longer limited to just buildings accommodating equipment to treat ailments and diseases. The impetus in healthcare today is to restructure itself and create healing environments for patients and healthy workplaces for caregivers.
Until recently, healthcare facilities worldwide have remained restricted by the rulebook and standard measurements, limiting designers to mandated regulations. As a result, the built space remains uninspired and clinical. The Center for Health Design (CHD) defines Evidence-Based Design (EBD) as “a deliberate attempt to base building decisions on the best available research evidence to improve outcomes and of continuing to monitor the success or failure for subsequent decision-making.”
The need for evidence-based healthcare design:
The healthcare system needs such an informed, research-based model to create environments that foster occupants’ health and well-being. Healing spaces aim to create positive, stress-free, and calming environments for patients, relatives, and caregivers alike. Reduced stress is proven to trigger recovery rates, improve patient compliance with medication regimens, and minimise postoperative pain and adverse effects on the immune system.
Strategies in Evidence-Based Design:
Evidence-based design has gained momentum in a post-pandemic world, highlighting the rising need to honour caregivers with hospitable workspaces. Despite studies consistently showing strong evidence linking caregiver experience to patient safety and patient experience, they have been mostly disregarded in the design process. Decreased caregiver stress has shown a reduction in medical errors and enhanced patient experience and safety. Here are some key strategies in Evidence-Based Design:
- Maximising Natural Light: Spatial configuration, guided by EBD, can be planned in ways that maximise natural light exposure for all patients and caregivers. Positioning allied functions such as circulation cores in areas receiving comparatively less daylight ensures that patient rooms and caregiver stations benefit from ample natural light, reducing stress and promoting healing.
- Positive Distractions: Constructing positive distractions by amplifying views towards nature and landscaped areas, or something as simple as nature-themed artwork in all patient and staff areas, proves to be successful in harnessing the potential of healing spaces. This strategy, validated for stress reduction, fosters a sense of comfort and approachability for patients.
- Standardised Design Elements: Incorporating identical examination pods promotes simpler patient way-finding and streamlined staff operations. For example, standardised pods, each containing five exam rooms, one consultation room, and support services, can be replicated to improve efficiency and reduce errors in treatment procedures. The modularity of design increases efficiency and reduces errors in treatment procedures from the caregiver’s end.
- Addressing Environmental Stressors: Design interventions can actively avoid stress-inducing factors from the surrounding environment, such as noise pollution, poor indoor air quality, poor ergonomics, and unconducive lighting. These measures contribute to a more conducive environment for both patients and caregivers, enhancing the overall healing experience.
- Enhanced Wayfinding: Effective wayfinding strategies are crucial in reducing stress and confusion for patients and visitors. Clear signage, intuitive spatial layouts, and the use of colour coding can help individuals navigate the facility with ease, reducing anxiety and enhancing the overall experience.
- Privacy and Control: Patients often experience stress due to invasions of privacy and lack of control over their environment. EBD strategies focus on providing private spaces and opportunities for patients to have some control over their immediate surroundings, such as adjustable lighting, temperature, and personal storage areas.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the shortcomings of poorly designed hospitals, which inadvertently contributed to the spread of infection. Long work hours, quarantine routines, and a stressful environment took a toll on both patients and caregivers. The need of the hour is to employ evidence-based design to transform these facilities into oases of physical and mental well-being for all occupants.
Evidence-based hospital interiors are crucial for the future of healthcare facility interiors. By prioritising the health and well-being of patients and caregivers, healthcare environments can become healing spaces that foster recovery and efficiency. The continued application and evolution of evidence-based design will ensure that healthcare facilities are better equipped to meet the challenges of tomorrow and provide a positive and nurturing environment for all.
Future Directions and the Role of Big Data:
The strategies in use today are merely the tip of the iceberg. Healthcare systems in developing nations like India need robust data collection and analytics. Once collected, Big Data, healthcare analytics, and post-occupancy studies will contribute to the research and development of practices specific to the Indian population. Intensive research and application-based design solutions will help devise a more robust framework for guiding the design of healthcare facilities that are better equipped in the days to come. The resulting strategies will enable healthcare designers to develop more credible and applicable solutions, benefiting both patients and caregivers and improving the overall healthcare consumer experience.