A hospital stay is often one of the most vulnerable times in a person’s life. It is also an opportunity for patients to recover in a place that supports their healing and their comfort. A new study has found that the design of a hospital room affects how well and quickly a patient heals. The research, led by Emily Patterson, an associate professor at Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center, suggests that patient rooms should support three distinct functions: calming the patient, facilitating family and visitor interaction and allowing staff to work efficiently.

Hospital rooms are designed with latent and active failures in mind to ensure patients’ safety. To do this, architects must consider the needs of both patients and caregivers in all aspects of the patient room design.

Intuitive hospital room design that supports staff workflows helps reduce active and latent failures. In addition, design that optimizes patient room size offers a more comfortable recovery experience for both patients and visitors and reduces construction costs.

A typical hospital room contains a treatment area with a bed, chair and desk for patient care. In addition, there is a family zone with a sofa/pull-out bed, comfortable chairs, and a 42-inch flat screen TV equipped with a patient engagement system that provides entertainment options and educational material. Oversized windows maximize daylight and views while a soft reading light, ample storage and a workspace provide a comfortable spot to relax and rest.

For optimum comfort and efficiency, a smart hospital room provides a private space for both patients and their families. The smart room includes a futon couch and bedding to accommodate overnight stays by friends or relatives, charging ports for laptops and phones, an ergonomic work station and oversized windows that provide ample natural light. A 42-inch flat screen TV is complemented by a patient engagement system that provides entertainment and educational material to help patients understand their condition and treatment plan.

The bathroom layout is designed to promote safety and ease of use. A direct path of travel between the nurse’s station and patient rooms is important for both patient and caregiver safety. The front-located bathrooms allow for a larger family area at the back of the room while improving sight lines to the patient. A rear-located bathroom provides improved visibility to the patient but can compromise family space and expansive exterior views out of the window. Center-bar bathrooms offer a compromise between these two alternatives and provide both visibility and family space.

Noise reduction is another important consideration in hospital rooms. A quiet HVAC system that minimizes noise levels and a sound-masking white noise system can help to keep patients relaxed and calm while reducing the need for overhead paging.

While it is important for hospitals to focus on the needs of their patients, it is equally as critical for architects to create an environment that supports staff efficiency in intuitive ways. Using a variety of design strategies to enhance efficiencies can reduce both active and latent failures and improve recovery times and outcomes.