Attractiveness of physical healthcare environments improves patient experience and delivery of care

This paper examines how improving the attractiveness of the physical healthcare environment affected patients’ perceptions of staff behaviours and their interactions with staff members, as well as their perceptions of quality of care. A patient survey was conducted in an outpatient facility that was old and unattractive, while another survey was conducted after renovation to improve the attractiveness of the physical healthcare environments. The primary data collection methods used were patient satisfaction survey, a staff retrospective work environment survey and short focused interviews with both patients and staff members. Results showed that staff members noticed some positive changes in their work environment, which could affect how they interacted with patients. The results also showed an increase in the willingness of patients to recommend the facility to others, which signifies increased patient loyalty. The findings of this study support previous research studies that emphasise the importance of the role of healthcare facility design and the attractiveness of physical healthcare environments in influencing patient perceptions of quality of care and satisfaction.