Creating a Healing Environment: The Importance of the Service Setting in the New Consumer-Oriented Healthcare System

TLDR

Healthcare recognizes that the physical environment influences all customers, and the guest service industry shows that a healing setting reinforces clinical quality while meeting expectations for safety, comfort, and support. The article aims to discuss how to create a healing environment in healthcare facilities by applying lessons from top guest service organizations. It does so by drawing on the experience and best practices of the best guest service organizations to guide environmental design and service delivery.

Abstract

Over the last ten years, the healthcare industry has recognized that the physical environment is a valuable resource that can and does affect all of its customers. Although most service organizations give some thought to setting, its importance to the service experience has been most thoroughly understood by those who view and treat their customers as guests, that is, the guest service industry. An excellent healing environment will reinforce excellent clinical quality, but an inferior environment can detract from fine clinical care. One of the most important principles learned by the guest service industry is to provide the setting customers expect. Another is to create an environment that meets or exceeds customer needs for safety, security, support, competence, physical comfort, and psychological comfort. This article provides a detailed discussion of how such an environment can be created in healthcare facilities drawing from the experience of the best guest service organizations.