Patient-friendly hospital environments: exploring the patients' perspective

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Design
• Patient Experience
• Hospital Architecture

Background:

• Understanding patient perceptions of hospital built environments is crucial for improving healthcare facilities.
• Previous research has highlighted the impact of the physical environment on patient well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate patient perceptions and attitudes towards the built environments of National Health Service (NHS) Trust hospitals.
• To inform design excellence for future hospitals that are responsive to patient needs.

Main Methods:

• An exploratory qualitative study using semi-structured personal interviews.
• Fifty one-to-one interviews were conducted with hospital in-patients across surgery, medicine, elderly care, and maternity directorates at Salford Royal Hospitals NHS Trust.

Main Results:

• Patients across all directorates shared similar priorities regarding the built environment.
• Patients viewed the hospital environment as supportive, emphasizing the importance of factors directly impacting them and their families.
• Key patient-identified needs included personal space, a homely atmosphere, good physical design, access to outdoor areas, and recreational facilities.

Conclusions:

• Patient perceptions are linked to whether a hospital provides a welcoming, homely space that promotes health and well-being for patients and visitors.
• Findings have significant implications for capital development teams, clinical staff, managers, and NHS Estates personnel.
• The study provides evidence-based knowledge on patient expectations and preferences for hospital facilities and estates provision within the NHS.