Let’s face it, hospitals have their unique ambiance. What kind of images does your brain paint as you think of one? If we had to guess, they would probably include sterile walls, medicinal odor, depressing settings, challenging wayfinding, and grumpy nurses. All these ingredients of a typical healthcare facility might overwhelm you and add more stress to an already unpleasant experience. What it comes down to is…looks matter!

Luckily, medical establishments seem to be paying more attention to hospital decorating. Today, little things like interior, comfort, or patient-centeredness line up alongside important aspects like modern equipment and professionalism level. Care centers are aware of how powerful appropriate interior decoration is. Not only does it make healthcare consumers more inclined to get back to this or that practice, but it also motivates them to recommend it to others. 

Below, we’ll discuss our top 5 hospital locations where cleanliness and order are rules. We’ll find out why going the extra mile is important to make patients’ experiences as pleasurable as possible despite health issues out of anyone’s control.

People's outward appearance is usually the first to attract us to them. Well, it is the same thing with the hospital entrance. Physician’s office, procedure, and dressing rooms – all this will appear later. But until then, you arrive at your intended destination at a clinic (as a visitor, patient, or staff member), open the door, and that’s when your medical journey starts…either positively or negatively.

If you are a doctor, imagine you’ve changed your camp for some time. Let’s break it down starting when your eyes fall upon the hospital entrance design.

As a patient, ask yourself:

●    What feelings come up when you see the entrance interior?

●    Do you feel like you’re somewhere where professionalism thrives?

●    Do you think finding a trustworthy doctor is possible in this very facility?

●    Do you feel scared?

●    Do you feel like staying or, perhaps, you’re about to run like some cartoon character leaving a hole exactly the same shape as you are?

The answers to all questions above indicate if you’re about to have a challenging or fluid experience if any. It is the healthcare givers’ job to ensure every “special guest” has the most pleasant experience wherever they need to go. Typically, patients are highly encouraged to use the main entrance, which is welcoming. The right components considered for the planning and design of medical facilities guarantee the most positive experience for clients and their families, as well as boost the human performance of personnel.

It’s all about the details.

Not only should every medical center have adequate space and up-to-date equipment for people of different categories to feel comfortable and safe, but it should also have positive distractions. Things like paintings on a hospital wall, warship areas, plants, picturesque views, as well as proper lighting make treatment and waiting processes less stressful. Usually, the first contact between patients and medical persons happens at the reception desk. Therefore, the spot should provide a pleasant stay for the visitors and a comfy working place for clinicians. Incorporating a world map wall wood art is one of the best clinic design ideas that instantly adds a human touch and turns a dull reception desk into a better facility for anyone around. Add some more welcoming aesthetics by using cute flag pins for maps! Are they traveling far from home? Is homesickness the case? A little small talk, a smile, and there you are, push-pinning their homeland on a fine-looking wooden map. You care. 

Here comes the wait. Something that hospital visitors hate the most yet inevitable. For most of us, the clinic waiting room is like a hub where all sorts of emotions are concentrated. From a brief wait for the results of a bi-annual check-up to an impossibly hard wait for a potentially complicated diagnosis, the hospital waiting rooms witness many victories and defeats. It goes without saying that the waiting areas can either demonstrate 100% commitment to patient-centric care or make visitors want to escape ASAP.

First impressions matter! Our top 3 décor options below will signal patients are in the hands of those who care about their health.

●    Artwork featuring your new offer or service. Are there generous discounts? New services? Don’t just create an Instagram post about it – use it as wall art for hospitals! Your clients will be there trying to kill time or switch their anxious thoughts to something trivial…voilà! Your dental or cosmetic procedure will occupy their mind and return as a flashback when they need it one day.

●    Wooden wall hanging decor. Posters, framed photos, or a large wooden wall map – go for something that is aesthetically appealing or distracting in a good way. Let them zone out for some time. Décor depicting distant places will help patients forget about the challenging routine for some time, as well as tune in to what awaits them at a doctor's office.

●    Bring nature in. This is a win-win option. Usually associated with tranquility and peace, nature will simplify your work. In addition to being a calming décor, greenery will promote clean air and bring more life to the enclosed environment of the clinics.

Do not underestimate hospital restrooms. Despite their visit's short time, people feel more enthusiastic and welcomed if the so-called universally used spaces are patient-friendly. Along with accessibility, usability, and safety (usually noted as crucial), mood-enhancing elements should also be incorporated into the interior of hospital toilets. The reality is that even minor issues like beautiful scenery with a calm river, pleasing-to-the-eye colors, décor, lighting, or any other accessories make visitors feel less anxious. Such an environment impacts our breathing, blood pressure, as well as heart rate, based on "The Effects of the Four Psychological Primary Colors on GSR, Heart Rate & Respiration Rate" research.

Whether building anew or just renovating, therapy wards should listen to their visitors to provide extra space for welcoming finishes like hospital bathroom décor: 

●    Small things that keep the room smelling fresh. Unfortunately, bathrooms can smell in many different ways (most are far from heavenly wondrous fragrances). To upgrade the interior look while keeping the fragrant nice, oil diffusers can help. Being half artwork, diffusers guarantee the stunning ombre effect while adding good vibes even to WCs.

●    Vive l’art! Got some free hospital room wall space? Add some art. Let that sterile clinic toilet go from OK to nice by hanging up paintings, photos, drawings, collages, as well as  illustrations. Add a touch of humor, if possible. Whatever your artistic soul is drawn to, let it become a reality.

●    Mural. Why actually not? Wallpapers or murals are easy to add to a minor bathroom theme for creating a unique visitor experience.

Safety, privacy, and sterility are probably the cornerstones of an exam room. At the same time, clinic exam room design helps win or lose a person’s trust. The core of the healthcare experience, treatment areas are the sacral spot where the relationship between clinicians and patients is being built the very moment the latter crosses the threshold. It must be admitted that we spend most of our visits in a treatment unit which probably has the greatest effect on us. That just adds up to the importance of appropriate and well-thought-out medical exam room design.

●    Eliminate the uneasiness caused by getting undressed for further examination. Provide proper space where patients can place their clothes together with other belongings.

●    Incorporate thematic design. Shake things up with some new concepts and colors. Some popular dr office decorating ideas include implementing elements that will tie guests to a particular region. Admiring a huge wooden map will definitely make the wait less stressful.

●    Ensure the room has enough space for the physician, patient, as well as family members of the latter.

●    Use eco-friendly materials that are durable and add warmth.

●    Practicality is essential. Things like easily cleaned flooring are crucial for implementation.

What happens in an exam unit stays behind the closed door. It is essential to exert every effort so that the memories made behind it won’t become frightening experiences that keep people from seeking pro healthcare help.

Since visiting a doctor is hardly the best experience ever, it is essential to ensure those hospitalized are as calm as possible. Regardless of the type of your medical establishment, the ambiance and design of every patient hospital room should make guests more relaxed and receptive to a particular treatment. After all, that’s where they spend most of their time.

Here are some patient room interior design ideas that immediately put patients at ease:

●    Add a personal touch. In other words, use medical office decor associated with your services. Is it dental or plastic surgery focus? Statuettes and posters featuring your field will tell a personal story to every visitor.

●    Decorating a hospital room with colors. A well-researched subject, the relationship between our emotions and the interior's color palette is proven to tune the human mind to fast recovery. Add a pop of blue famous for its calming effect!

●    Go for Scandinavian design. If you’re passionate about themes like minimalism, the elements of hygge will evoke a sense of belonging.

●    Greenery rocks! Aside from uplifting the mood instantly, plans also provide vital oxygen that positively affects the patient's well-being.

●    Make it feel more like home. Pick drawings created by younger patients, frame them, then put them up on the wall. This will create some welcoming and warming ambiance usually missed by those far from home.

Whatever décor you choose for a better hospital design, keep in mind that safety is king. Many pieces are taboo because of durability issues and the impossibility to conduct infection control. That is why you should be careful when integrating anything into clinic settings.

In tandem, décor and design matter since both help combat feelings of discomfort and anxiety usually associated with visiting a doctor. As stress fades away, followed by comfort, better satisfaction and treatment outcomes kick in. When patients heal faster, there is an increase in traffic. Consequently, they are more likely to spread the word about their pleasant experiences in your wards. What more could you want?