In August 2013, sometime during my course at the prestigious Lagos Business School, I began my research on this interesting topic. It started off from when I organized the event for the Nigerian Medical Association annual general meeting in June 2013.
With my relevance as an interior designer, I realized I could do so much for this industry.
Doctors are most of the time very conventional people; with little or no interest in aesthetics as they are more interested in the survival of humanity against diseases.
After series of interviews, I concluded that psychologists, psychiatrists and padeatricians were all on the same page with me.
Truly it's a doctor's job to heal or care for a body but what about the psyche? Who takes care of that?
It's as important to put a patient in a clean environment as it is to put them in a room nicely fragranced with comfortable beddings, some music etc . A hospital is supposed to be a home away from home where the only difference should be the people within that environment.
I had about five hundred people of different demographics fill out questionnaires where these questions were asked .
I will summarize my findings:
- Most people find hospital beds very uncomfortable with really sturdy pillows.
- People would prefer nicely fragranced environments( not disinfectants or the dreadful smell of spirits and iodine)
- Patients are willing to pay more if more comfort and better hospitality is guaranteed .
- Hospital receptions should have cozy, comfortable chairs
- Patients prefer colorful rooms and walls.
- Patients would not mind pictures of nature or paintings on walls(not posters from pharmaceutical companies or diagrams of organs .
A quick take at the Martini hospital, Groningen , Netherlands (pictures above)is a perfect example of my illustration here.
An aesthetic and ergonomically perfect hospital environment would have :
- Warm, courteous and friendly staff
- Comfortable furniture for staff and patients
- Nicely fragranced environments
- Modern window treatments (blinds or curtains)
- Warm colours on walls
- Pictures of nature or paintings on walls
- 100 % cotton beddings
- Micro fibre pillows
- Basic patient amenities ( tissue, wipes, hand towel, hand sanitizers, flip flops, duvet)
- Lighting control systems
- Audio visuals
- Toys for children
Truly there are hospitals that offer these basic standards but for the price of luxury.
Luxury and comfort are two different but related words.....a hospital environment should endeavor to provide comfort at all cost but luxury can be offered on request and that would be comfort with some class added to it. Example would be down(feather) filled pillows instead of micro fibre, down filled duvets, orthopedic layovers, silk beddings, the class of fragrance being used amongst other things.
Remember, all these May not be done all at once considering cost implications and logistics within
the hospital but a start will make some difference even with income generation.
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