Optimizing the Healing Environment in Health Care Facilities for Better Outcomes
February 28th, 2009 -- Posted in healing environments | No Comments »A subject that I am passionate about is improving the healing environment in this country to one that focuses on the mental and emotional aspects as well as the physical well being of the patient.
I recently read an article from a site called Minnesota Medicine authored by 2 RN/PhDs who cover a lot of the points I am advocating.
It appears that many health care organizations are now taking notice of this important movement and are incorporating the suggested changes into their hospital environments.
I have provided clips here with a link to the entire article.
Creating Optimal Healing Environments in a Health Care Setting
By Terri Zborowsky, R.N., Ph.D., and Mary Jo Kreitzer, Ph.D., R.N.
When you think of a healing environment, what comes to mind? A spa? A Japanese garden? Perhaps a corner of your house? Few of us would immediately think of a clinic or hospital.
But that view is beginning to change as health care organizations are becoming aware of the growing body of evidence that shows the benefits of a healing environment, and are incorporating ideas generated by such studies into new facilities.
Among other things, they’re taking to heart ideas from environmental psychology, sociology, geography, architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, nursing, medicine, and public health research that demonstrate how specific design changes in health care environments can reduce stress and alleviate the physical outcomes associated with it. These changes also can help prevent medical errors and hospital-acquired infections, while improving staff morale and efficiency.
As Jain Malkin, a founding member of the Center for Health Design’s board of directors and an authority on healing environments, says, “the environment can influence the healing process.”
But what exactly contributes to a healing environment? The answer is complex in part because it can vary based on a person’s culture and preferences.
The Healing Environment
The word “healing” comes from the Anglo-Saxon word haelen, which means to make whole. One way to understand the term is as harmony of mind, body, and spirit.
Healing is not the same as curing, which is about fixing problems, eradicating disease, and decreasing symptoms. People can be healed even if they are not cured. For example, those with a chronic disease can learn to be at peace despite their condition. Conversely, people may be cured but not healed. For example, a woman whose breast cancer had gone into remission could find herself grieving and angry about her losses and unable to function.
Thus, healing environments are designed to promote harmony of mind, body, and spirit.
Such environments can reduce stress and anxiety, which positively affects our health in a number of ways. Neuroscience is showing that our brain and nervous, endocrine, and immune systems are constantly interacting. As neuroscientist Candace Pert said, “What you are thinking at any moment is changing your biochemistry.”3…
Evidence for Creating a Healing Environment
Park Nicollet Heart and Vascular Center, St. Louis Park
The patient and waiting areas on Park Nicollet’s Methodist Hospital campus were designed to look out over a wetland, which is part of the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, and bring in daylight.
Photo by George Heinrich, courtesy of Ellerbe Becket
Evidence that good design can have the opposite effect (to hampering healing) is mounting. Malkin has identified the following ways research is showing how organizations can adapt health care facilities in order to alleviate stress and ultimately improve patient outcomes:7
Increase connection to nature. A number of studies have presented strong evidence that even 3 to 5 minutes of contact with nature can significantly decrease stress, reduce anger and fear, and increase pleasant feelings.8-11 This calming effect can be achieved by providing views to the outside, interior gardens or aquariums, or artwork with a nature theme.
Offer options and choices. Giving patients a sense of control can significantly decrease stress. Hospitals can do this by allowing them to adjust lighting and temperature, choose the music they want to listen to, select where they would like to sit, and control the timing of meals. In addition, better wayfinding (signs and information about where to go) lessens disorientation. Also, a thoughtful layout that makes it easier for frail patients to get around by themselves increases their independence, giving them a greater feeling of control.
Provide positive diversions. A study by Ulrich showed that heart surgery patients in intensive care units who viewed landscape scenes reported less anxiety and stress and needed fewer pain medications than a control group that was not exposed to the pictures.12 Diversions that have a calming effect may include artwork depicting scenes of nature (not abstract art, which has actually proved to have the opposite effect), fireplaces, videos of nature, and aquariums.
Provide access to social support. An extensive amount of research has shown that support from family and close friends can help in healing. For example, Uchino and Garvey found that having social support accelerates recovery in heart patients and improves the emotional well-being and quality of life of late-stage cancer patients.13 Hospitals can promote social support by providing waiting rooms and lounges with comfortable furniture, designing patient rooms that accommodate visitors, and providing amenities that make it easier for family members to stay overnight.
Reduce environmental stressors. Recent studies have shown that excessive noise, glare, and poor air quality can create stress as is evidenced by increased heart rate and blood pressure and reduced oxygen levels in the blood in both adults and babies who are exposed to these environmental concerns.4,14-16 Good design can dampen noise from paging systems, equipment, alarms, roommates, and staff, making hospitalization less stressful and more restful for patients…
Read the entire article HERE and when asked, participate in giving input on any experiences you may have had with hospitals or health care providers who ask you to weigh in after your treatment on how they did. Lobby for the the types of changes noted above. Your opinion and input counts and can help turn the tide towards optimizing the healing environments of the future.