Are you looking for ways to design a healthcare space that benefits your patients mental health?
It goes far beyond painting a room green and calling it “therapeutic”.
Your medical office environment can reduce patient anxiety and stress or cause it.
Many factors go into creating a truly healing environment. Everything from reception seating to paint colours matter.
And if you get it right… you’ll keep patients calm and relaxed while they wait for their appointment.
If you get it wrong… patients walk into your practice already feeling more stressed.
Sound scary?
It should.
Did you know that a recent poll conducted by the American Psychiatric Association found that 43% of adults feel more anxious than they did last year?
Also, most of them will walk into your medical office this year…
Where you have the ability to help or hurt.
What’s Inside:
- Reception Areas Have A Bigger Impact On Patients Than You Think
- Medical Facility Design & Patient Mental Health: The Research
- Important Details To Consider When Designing A Healthcare Space
- 7 Things Healthcare Facilities Can Do To Improve Patient Anxiety
- Wrapping It Up
Reception Areas Have A Bigger Impact On Patients Than You Think
The waiting room is the heart of your practice.
People walk in already feeling anxious. They are worried about the appointment and their health. Maybe they are in pain. Maybe they just don’t feel good.
When they walk into your waiting room, your reception seating area will set the tone for their entire experience.
Patients that sit down and get comfy in hard lobby chairs will already be stressed before they see the doctor.
But patients that sink into nice comfortable linked seating systems feel relaxed. They feel like they can sit back and enjoy some privacy while waiting their turn.
Many healthcare spaces don’t consider the impact their waiting room has on patients.
They want to save money, so they buy the cheapest chairs they can find. Problem is… those cheap chairs might cost them in patient loyalty.
Once again… studies show us that healthcare environments impact patient anxiety, pain, recovery, and more.
Medical Facility Design & Patient Mental Health: The Research
Over the last few decades healthcare experts have been studying the impact medical facility design has on patient outcomes.
They’ve dubbed it ‘evidence-based design’.
Here’s what they’ve discovered so far:
According to the CDC, 12.1% of adults in America suffer from regular anxiety and worry.
Hospital waiting rooms can either help calm these patients or cause their anxiety to spike.
Studies show us that lighting, noise levels, seating choices, and more all play a role in anxiety levels.
Other studies have proven that noises inside hospitals cause patients to have negative psychological responses such as:
- Faster heartbeat
- Increased blood pressure
- Increased stress hormones
Similar studies have shown that proper lighting can reduce headaches.
The colour of your walls can make people calmer or more anxious.
Which leads to the next point…
Important Details To Consider When Designing A Healthcare Space
When you think about designing a medical office space.
What do you think about?
Maybe you consider the flooring.
Maybe you consider how many chairs you can cram into a small space.
Well… those things matter. But they aren’t the only things that matter.
Let’s talk about some of the details that make the biggest differences.
Lighting
The type of lighting you use in your waiting room makes a big difference.
Fluorescent lighting can cause headaches. Warmer light tones are more calming and relaxing.
Noise Levels
Did you know that hospital noise can cause anxiety?
That’s why it’s important to have sound absorbing floors and ceilings.
This will greatly reduce the amount of noise that echoes around your waiting room.
Also consider where you place your reception seating. Stay away from high traffic hallways if possible.
Colour
Colour choices aren’t just for looks.
Studies show that certain colours have a direct impact on anxiety levels.
Blues and greens are calming. Bright white walls can feel clinical and cold.
But here’s the thing…
If you choose calming wall colours. You have to make sure the furniture, flooring, lighting, and everything else inside your healthcare space follows suit.
They all have to work together.
Space & Privacy
Another huge detail that most doctors overlook is personal space.
Your waiting area should allow patients to feel relaxed without feeling cramped next to strangers.
That’s why the spacing of your reception seating is just as important as the chairs you select.
7 Things Healthcare Facilities Can Do To Improve Patient Anxiety
You know how important it is to design a healthcare space that takes patient anxiety into consideration.
Now it’s time to put that knowledge into action.
Use these 7 tips to help decrease patient stress levels while they wait for their appointment.
Select Comfortable Healthcare Seating
If you’ve read this article so far. You know how important seating selections are to your patients experience.
Not only do you have to choose comfortable chairs. But you also have to make sure they are comfortable for ALL body types.
Try to find chairs that have:
- Comfortable padding
- Easy clean materials
- Comfortable armrests for standing
- Ample space between seats
- Built to last. Nobody wants to constantly be replacing chairs in their waiting room.
Where You Position Your Seating Matters
Once you pick out your chairs. It’s time to decide where you want to place them.
You want to avoid lines of seats facing a blank wall.
Instead, try angling your seating facing a window.
If you don’t have window seats available. Place them facing a large piece of art.
Either way helps patients feel more relaxed while waiting.
Patients also feel calmer when they aren’t sitting right next to each other.
Leave a couple feet between seatings whenever possible.
Keep Your Waiting Area Clean
This should go without saying but you’d be surprised at how many dirty waiting rooms exist out there.
Make sure you clean your chairs regularly.
No patient wants to sit in a seat that’s covered in other peoples germs.
Be Mindful Of The Lighting
As mentioned earlier, fluorescent lighting can make people feel like they’re in a prison.
Your lighting should be warm and inviting.
You also want to allow as much natural lighting in your waiting room as possible.
Provide Variety
Not every patient wants the same experience when they visit your practice.
Some patients want to be around the hustle and bustle. Other patients prefer quiet.
Give your patients options when it comes to seating.
Place a few seats by the window for patients that want to people watch.
Place a few chairs away from high traffic areas for patients that want to relax.
Add Plants Or Pictures Of Nature
Studies show that placing pictures of nature and indoor plants help reduce stress.
Add a few plants around your waiting room and some pictures of nature.
It doesn’t have to be a major part of your design. Small touches can mean a big difference.
Control The Noise
As mentioned earlier, noises inside a hospital can cause patient stress.
Use things like carpeting, seating, and ceilings to help absorb noise.
Also, try to place your reception seating away from main entrances and hallways.
This will limit the amount of noise patients hear while waiting.
Wrapping It Up
Do you want your patients health to suffer because you don’t care enough about them to create a relaxing environment?
Hopefully not.
Your waiting room says a lot about you as a practice.
When you put time and attention into the design of your medical office, patients notice.
They see that you care about them.
That you want them to feel comfortable while sitting in your waiting room.
You have the power to help or hurt your patients mental health.
Will you ignore that power…
Or will you use it for good?
