dc.description.abstract | Healthcare facilities are recognizable as organized, clean, and functional environments
that enable health practices to be carried out easily. However, most healthcare facilities
do not take into account how design may affect patient welfare. The aim of this research
project was to observe the interior environments of healthcare facilities and study how
the environment affects patient well-being. If interior environments have an effect on
patients, then designing health-conscious interiors for healthcare facilities will be crucial
and may result in patient well-being. Using Texas A&M University's Beutel Health
Center as a sample and representation of a college healthcare facility, this research
intended to discover the independent and dependent variables in the interior
environments that have the greatest impact, whether positive or negative, on patients.
The methods used to perform this research include: inspections of the facility,
observations, and surveys. By combining all of these methods, the results possibly
concluded a reliable database for making improvements to college healthcare facilities
around the world. The main objectives included answering the following:
I. How do patients feel about the interior environments of Beutel Health Center and
what aspects influence this feeling?
II. What are the independent and dependent variables present in the interior
environment that effect patient well-being?
The results concluded that by adding simple elements to the interior environments of
healthcare facilities, patient welfare is enhanced along with positive attitudes, opinions,
and behaviors. | en |