Appreciation of art in a workers' hospital in Chile

To assess the impact of selected murals in the Workers' Hospital in Santiago on different groups of clients, a quantitative and qualitative approach, including a semantic differential scale, was applied. The sample was composed of 120 subjects-40 patients, 40 visitors and 40 hospital staff. Appreciation of the paintings (45-87%) and assessment of the benefit of each painting (56-84%) varied widely. Differences in perceptions according to age, gender and educational level were not significant. Over two-thirds of the sample had a positive appreciation of the murals and considered them beneficial. Differences in perception relate to personal characteristics of the subjects and are also associated with certain characteristics of the murals, such as location, or the structure and style of the work. This study, the first of its kind in Chile, provides grounds for the development of an art-for-health policy in the future, showing that most people are willing to participate by giving their opinions and assessments.