Components of a healing environment

Lighting components transform clinical facilities that appear rather functional and uninviting into environments that help the patient to relax and to recover. Light elements on the wall or in the ceiling can significantly contribute to easing fear and reducing nervousness. In general, a healing environment can be created by paying attention to three findings:

• Light has a major impact on human well-being and the body´s healing processes.
• Color is a powerful medium to stimulate positive emotional reactions and thereby promote the conditions for recovery.
• Interesting views of the outside world help to create pleasant associations and deflect from fear – an effect that is particularly valuable for the treatment of children.

Addressing patient fears

In a clinical environment where patients often feel confronted with unknown or anxiety-provoking situations, it is beneficial that healthcare designs convey a feeling of security and safety. Generally, this is better achieved with softer color tones versus loud tones. At the same time, visuals that evoke a light, warm and positive feeling are much more suitable than images with ambiguous, uncertain, provocative or surreal characteristics.

Benefits of a healing environment

Stimulating positive emotions can not only foster the patient’s well-being and improve his or her overall hospital experience, but may also shorten the therapeutic process. A healing environment may lead to:

• Less need for strong sedatives
• Faster and better examination results
• Better healing conditions
• Higher patient satisfaction

Another benefit is that a healing environment improves the working conditions for healthcare professionals by reducing stress levels, which in turn may improve productivity.

Light temperature

Every light source exhibits a physical characteristic referred to as „color temperature”, which is usually measured in kelvins (K). Color temperature permits various shades of light to be distinguished from each other – higher color temperatures (5000 K or more) are perceived as “cool” (blue and green tones) whereas lower color temperatures (2700–3000 K) appear to be “warm” (yellow and red tones). As color is closely linked to mood causing a certain psychological reaction the color temperature of the light source is a critical factor.