Infusing nature into your medical construction plan makes good sense; according to the latest research, hospitals built to code using biophilic medical construction design benefit in the long run with more medical staff productivity, higher property values, and shorter hospital stays. Experts predict an overall nationwide savings of $93 million in medical expenses just by incorporating nature into your medical construction.
Biophilic medical construction
Biophilia is Greek for “the love of living things.” Biophilic medical construction design uses natural light, fresh air, plants, and spacious environments to improve patient healing, boost employee productivity, and cut costs. In his book on biophilic design, Stephen Kellert writes that “naturalistic settings reduce pain, and may reduce recovery time, thereby lowering health care costs,” lamenting that many hospitals today have “lost sight of some very fundamental aspects of health and healing, and consequently create these hospitals that are very often mechanistic to the point that they’re debilitating.” “In one study, for instance, spinal surgery patients in rooms with bright sunlight needed 22 percent less pain medication than patients in darker recovery rooms.”What are the benefits?
Healthcare experts say there are many benefits in store for medical practices that choose to incorporate natural elements into their hospital design:- Patients who stay in a hospital that has exposure to natural conditions tend to heal quicker, requiring 8.5% less time at the hospital.
- Medical buildings that use natural design increase their value by 127%.
- Nurses, technicians, and other medical staff are more productive and less likely to call in sick when their work environment uses natural light and space, resulting in about $3,000 savings each year per employee.
Key elements
In short, your medical construction plan should include these basic key elements of nature in order to promote physiological and psychological health:- Natural wooden elements
- Plants, flowers in patient, physician, and nurse areas
- Nature-based patient room design and waiting rooms
- Natural light
- Spacious environment