Health Care Environments and Patient Outcomes

Abstract

This review of the literature on health care environments and patient outcomes considers three research themes: patient involvement with health care (e.g., the role of patient control), the impact of the ambient environment (e.g., sound, light, art), and the emergence of specialized building types for defined populations (e.g., Alzheimer's patients). The article also describes the challenges presented in doing high-quality research focused on health care environments and contrasts the contributions made by two different traditions: architecture and behavioral science. The implications of managed care and opportunities for research are considered.