Design Strategies Have Implications For The Health Care System

Designing For Calm by Roger S. Ulrich.  The New York Times.  January 11, 2013.

While the major focus of this article is on the role of design as a calming influence in mental health facilities, it also the role that design could play in the wider world of health care.  Since global statistics indicate that a third of all admitted psychiatric  patients are involved in violent incidents, the issue is especially critical in mental health.  However, in hospital emergency rooms for example design could also play a role in diffusing tensions in a stressful environment.  Among the objectives that design could help accomplish is enhancing patient coping and sense of control.