The hospital room is a patient’s home away from home, and while the goal is better health care, it may be the design of the rooms that plays a larger role in influencing outcomes. Research shows that patients and their families appreciate the comforts of home in hospital rooms, such as privacy curtains, comfortable beds and flat-screen TVs. But that’s not all – a range of design elements like color, lighting and noise can impact both the comfort level and overall experience of the patient.

Considering the many factors at play, architects have found several ways to create more efficient hospital rooms that support both staff and patients. For example, the use of flexible furniture and equipment placement allows nurses to easily maneuver around each patient’s room and provides clear lines of sight to the nursing station. In addition, acoustic materials in the corridors and patient rooms reduce ambient sound levels, improving sleep and communication between patients and staff.

In a recent study, researchers found that patients who were assigned single rooms with windows and direct line of sight to the nurse’s station were more likely to have lower pain scores than those in double-rooms without windows or a view. Patients also had lower levels of stress, which can have a negative impact on health. The team, led by Michigan Medicine department of surgery assistant professor of architecture and urban planning Makarand Mody and SHA assistant professor of hospitality marketing, conducted online surveys with 400 participants to determine which hotel amenities they preferred in their hospital room. Participants rated how likely they were to choose each of 40 custom-designed renderings of a hospital room featuring various combinations of hotel amenities and a range of other attributes, including interior design and health care service.

Aside from a private room, some of the most sought-after hospital room features included modern interior design, hospitality-trained staff and high-quality televisions. But a hospital’s ability to provide these amenities to every patient depends on its resources. And with more than $50 billion spent each year on the construction of new hospitals, it is essential to understand what design features have the greatest impact on patient outcomes.

For example, according to Dak Kopec, an architectural psychologist and architect at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, a large part of what patients value in their hospital room is a sense of control. That means that having a single room gives them the space they need to speak freely with their medical professionals and not worry about their chatty roommate or visiting friends overhearing sensitive information.

Ideally, every patient would have access to the most recovery-promoting hospital room possible. But that’s not always feasible. Hospitals can improve the patient experience by identifying their most valuable room amenities, and by offering a daily fee for those amenities that is paid by many extended health benefit plans. The Preferred Accommodation Program revenues are invested back into ongoing hospital operations. For more information, contact your health plan directly.