Healing Spaces: The New Hospital Room

The Best Medicine for Fixing the Modern Hospital by Russ Mitchell.  Fast Company.  December 2012/January 2013.

Research has shown that hospital room design has a direct effect on health.  This research along with changing reimbursement incentives from Medicare emphasizing patient satisfaction has spurred an emphasis on hospital room design that is pleasant and therapeutic.  Safety is also a factor in the emphasis on design with some estimates of up to 200,000 deaths each year from accidents and medical errors.  This article addresses specifics of how the new hospital room might be designed.  One surprising fact:  Private rooms are more cost efficient than double rooms and less prone to spread of infection.