COVID-19 has put healthcare in the spotlight. It has caused the world to question some of the accepted norms of how healthcare is being delivered globally. When it comes to waiting room design, there have been discussions for aeons about the futility of the idea of “waiting”, the wasted time and inefficiency associated with it and how to convert that to a more productive and fruitful environment, COVID has amplified the need to revisit the core idea of a waiting area.
Waiting rooms will continue to serve a vital purpose and must be efficient and accessible to two categories of people: healthcare staff and patients and their family
While COVID has helped declutter and reduce the number of people utilising a waiting area due to social distancing and safety reasons, this has allowed designers to address this critical area more holistically. Healthcare design ideas are influenced by nature and aim to provide patients with a better relaxing atmosphere. According to research, therapeutic effects could be a positive distraction in waiting rooms.
These groups require a functional waiting room. Supportive designs are becoming increasingly popular for improving people’s waiting experiences. Psychosocially supportive design stimulates and engages individuals on both a mental and social level and bolsters a person’s feeling of self-awareness. The primary goal of psychosocially supportive design is to elicit a mental response by capturing human attention, which can help alleviate anxiety and increase pleasant psychological emotions. Salutogenic design is an approach that focuses on well-being and not the disease. Salutogenesis—model, sense of coherence and orientation—is in harmony with developments across the social sciences that seek a better understanding of positive aspects of human experience.
Kaplan and Kaplan 31 created the Attentional Restorative Theory (ART). According to this theory, being in nature is not only enjoyable but can also help us improve our focus and ability to concentrate (Ohly, White, Wheeler, Bethel, Ukoumunne, Nikolaou, & Garside, 2016).ART theorises that the natural world is often depicted as a therapeutic environment while busy, urban environments have often been considered attention and energy drains. Although these beliefs were long held as simply opinions and personal views, the last few decades have seen some empirical work on the idea that natural environments can restore and rejuvenate, boost our attention, and keep us healthier. There are two attention systems – direct and indirect attention. Indirect attention is activated when something fascinating happens unexpectedly or when one does not have to focus on something in particular. It does not require any energy or effort from the person. Nature’s colours, forms, and scents are unrivalled in their ability to aid healing. A view of a natural setting outside your window can help you recover faster with fewer drugs required than a view of a built environment (Ulrich, 1984). People in an aged care facility exposed to nature for one hour per week experienced improved attention compared to older adults who remained indoors (Ottosson & Grahn, 2005). Viewing scenic beauty videos significantly reduces victims’ pain and anxiety (Miller, Hickman, & Lemasters, 1992). As a result, having natural surroundings available at the hospital is critical.
There are the following measures to improve the waiting room environment:
Daylight, windows and lighting
For patients, a window can have a good impact on their health. A lack of natural light can cause physiological and psychological problems. Daylight in a waiting area has also been required to maintain a healthy hormone level for the patient’s family. The window can help by letting in fresh air and daylight while also providing a view. It is a portal to the outside world, allowing patients’ families to see changes. Workers’ well-being was also improved by exposure to direct sunlight through windows at work, which had a favourable impact on their attitudes and job satisfaction.
Colour, space and landmarks
Colours may influence brain activity and contribute to a sense of well-being and uniqueness in architecture. Colours can also have symbolic importance, contributing to a building’s identity and cultural significance. Representative symbols from specific groups effectively build alliances and improve patient trust. According to a multicenter study on caring for LGBTQA youth, displaying visual symbols of support such as the pride rainbow helped people feel comfortable disclosing their identities. Colours reflect the hospital’s values. Warm colours (red, yellow, and orange) are thought to be energising, whereas cool colours (blue, purple, and green) are relaxing.
Sound, music and health
As we all know, the waiting area is the noisiest and most chaotic hospital area. According to other researchers, noise can raise blood pressure and increase blood pressure, according to Lang, Fouriaud, Jacquinet – Salord and Evans, Bullinger, and Hygge. People’s perceptions of life quality decline in a noisy environment, and high noise levels can also limit social engagement. Reduced noise levels reduce workers’ perceptions of job stress. Less noisy areas will help nurses focus their energy and coping strategies on other stressful situations.
However, some noises benefit one’s health, and Lai, Chen, Chang, Hseih, Huang, Chang, and Peng believe music can help one’s health by decreasing sympathetic nervous system activation. Music may also cause a reduction in heart and breathing rhythms and an increase in body warmth. Music, either alone or in combination with treatment, can help a patient’s recovery. Instead of being annoyed by pain and fear, the patients said music helped them focus on healing. The atmosphere had improved, and the healing had increased.
The physical environment and productivity
Waiting areas should be designed to fit everyone safely and comfortably. Healthcare facilities utilise common spaces in a variety of ways these days, including patient queuing and procedure areas, family updates from nurses or physicians, and patient rooms. Cafes, both indoors and outdoors, pay homage to the importance of visitor comfort. Smartphones, tablets, and other technology gadgets can be utilised by maintaining multifunctional furniture. Adults can even work in that space. Design that incorporates flexible furnishings keeps up with the evolution in healthcare. Infection management is also a consideration when it comes to safety. Separate waiting areas for sick and healthy patients should be provided, especially in paediatric settings. Non-porous textiles and surface materials with few seams and catch points should be able to resist repeated cleanings with harsh disinfectants. Nurses can quickly lose interest if they are not motivated by their surroundings, leading to decreased performance. Increased awareness of the link between enhanced health and increased profitability would influence how designers, architects, and managers plan, construct and maintain buildings. Improved interior environments, for example, can improve employee health, minimise sick days, lower healthcare costs, and boost productivity, all of which develop human capital and raise firm profitability.
Psychosocially supportive design isn’t just a job for one individual; it necessitates that every stakeholder grasps what “beneficial management” means. Knowing which environmental elements contribute to health and happiness can be used as a guide while making political decisions. It’s also critical to have an interdisciplinary approach. Professionals from many backgrounds and fields collaborate in this field like psychologists, architects, landscape architects, doctors, behavioural scientists, health advocates, etc.
Authored by Siddharth Puri, W-ARD FOUR, Co-Founder and Director of Design.
