Everything from shared rooms to alarm noises can be detrimental to sick patients trying to recover in the hospital, according to Dhruv Khullar, MD, a resident physician at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
Dr. Khullar wrote a piece in The New York Times titled "Bad Hospital Design Is Making Us Sicker," in which he detailed several facets of standard hospital design that may be impeding patients' recovery.
Here are four of those design flaws.
1. Shared rooms. According to Dr. Khullar, "housing patients together very likely exacerbates" the problem of hospital-acquired infections. He cited research showing private rooms can reduce the risks of airborne infections, as well as a study showing the cost of converting to all private rooms can be offset by money saved from reducing infections.
Having another patient in the room can also make it more difficult for patients to sleep, which is integral for healing.
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2. Lighting, bad toilets and slippery floors. All of these design flaws contribute to patient falls, which can lead to serious injuries. Dr. Khullar also added that placing nursing stations closer to patient rooms, so nurses can reach patients more quickly, can lessen the likelihood of a fall.
3. Lack of noise consideration. "The average noise level in hospitals far exceeds guideline-based recommendations, making it hard for patients to sleep," Dr. Khullar wrote. He recommended providing earplugs, installing acoustic panels and reducing unnecessary alarms as ways to improve the problem.
4. Lack of nature. Research has shown that having views of nature can help patients recover faster and take fewer pain medications during recovery. "But too often patients and physicians find themselves cooped up in dim rooms and sterile hallways with little access to natural light or views of nature: too much concrete, not enough jungle," Dr. Khullar wrote.