CREJ

July 2018 — Health Care Properties Quarterly — Page 11 www.crej.com T here is an increasing body of research that shows the use of artwork in health care settings leads to improved patient well- being and better outcomes. In addition, the rise in awareness of biophilia and its impact on the calm- ness and mental state of patients also points to the use of such elements in healing environments. This article seeks to briefly lay out the research behind these trends, and then to offer several examples where both beautiful imagery and fun and whimsical graphics have been applied in actual real-world health care set- tings. The Positive Impact of Art In a blog for the Huffington Post, Brooke Seidelman wrote on evidence- based design and the impact of art in healing: “In 1984, a landmark paper by Dr. Roger Ulrich helped establish the field of evidence-based design through a study in which he found that patients who had hospital rooms with a window required less pain medication and recovered at faster rates than patients in rooms without windows. Since that publication, the field of evidence-based design has expanded and numerous studies have shown that artwork in patient rooms offer comparable benefits – promoting healing, relieving patients’ pain and stress, and increasing their overall well-being.” One term being applied to the application of artwork is “positive distraction.” Robert Niemenen, writ- ing in Interiors and Sources, points to a caution – artwork is just one of several factors that can play a role in improved outcomes. According to Jain Malkin, author of AVisual Reference for Evidence Based Design, “Projects have sometimes been labeled a heal- ing environment based on an art program (possibly not even one based on research) or a number of cosmetic changes in inte- rior finishes. Heal- ing environments sounds so nice, who wouldn’t want to make a claim like this?” Malkin is correct in pointing to the risk of blindly accepting art as a single-source solution, but Niemenen quick counters with this insight: With that being said, how is art being used in health care spaces as one part of a broader evidence-based approach to design? First and foremost, art serves as a contrast to the often somber work being done in many health care settings. “Art is a counterpoint to the complexity of health care design,” said Cheryl S. Durst, executive vice presi- dent and CEO of IIDA. “Incorporating art and artisanal pieces into health care environments humanizes the experience, creates a sense of calm and presents an opportunity to wel- come others into these spaces.” Suffice to say that the vast num- ber of studies, articles and academic papers all overwhelmingly point to the benefit of incorporating artwork in achieving better patient outcomes, as well as improving their overall satis- faction with their health care experi- ence. The Rise of Biophilia and its Impact on Health Care Environments Over the span of history, humans have developed an affinity for the life-supporting aspects of the natu- ral world. This attraction to nature is referred to as biophilia, literally mean- ing “love of nature.” This natural love of nature has spurred innovation in the architectur- al community. Designers have endless opportunities to reconnect us with nature by incorporating biophilic ele- ments in their designs. In his article,What is biophilic design in architecture?, appearing on EarthTalk.org, author Stephen Kel- lert said that unfortunately, while man may have evolved in the natural world, most of us spend 90 percent of our time indoors. Kellert contends this has led to an increasing disconnect with the natural world. It is the interior space where health care happens. After all, don’t we say things like, “Your Uncle Al is in the hospital?” Patients in health care set- tings often experience high stress, either due to their actual condition or just the difficulties of diagnostic procedures and testing. Oliver Heath, writing for HumanSpaces.com, said, “The experience usually happens at Application of large-scale imagery in health care Design Evan G. Bane, MA, CDT, LEED GA Marketing operations manager, Inpro Please see Bane, Page 21 At the Golisano Children’s Hospital in Ft. Myers, Florida, Inpro’s Aspex panels with large digital images were used in the design.