From office spaces to retail environments, multiple studies show that proper lighting improves human health and productivity. Healthcare settings are no exception and in fact, healthcare settings connect human health and productivity.
Healthcare spaces juggle a mix of stakeholders: doctors, nurses and other medical staff, patients and visitors. And given that these stakeholders often stay in the facility for hours or even days at a time, comfort is critical.
While lighting has its function by providing ambient, accent and task illumination, it also creates an experience. Here are 3 ways the right lighting can create a positive healthcare experience.
- Improved patient recovery
In multiple ways, proper lighting can improve a patient’s recovery time. Dim lighting mimics evening lighting, often indicative of quiet time. Using a controlled lighting solution allows users to dim lighting to desired levels, which in effect can help reduce noise levels and suggest to visitors and personnel that its time to quiet down. And more down time means more time for a patient to rest.
Cove lighting or a dynamic troffer, such as Chisel from Mark Architectural Lighting™ creates soft illumination, reducing uncomfortable glare often provided from direct lighting distribution. Aside from visual comfort, Chisel can create visual interest in the space, helping distract patients from intimidating medical equipment or bedside medical tests.
- Better medical staff performance
From working at nursing stations to performing surgery in operating rooms, adequate lighting is critical for job performance. And given that many medical professionals spend hours at the workplace, the right lighting should keep an occupant’s productivity high throughout the day. Tunable White light found in both Chisel and the SLOT family of linear lighting solutions, is a dynamic option that mimics the passage of time and can be aligned with key activities that require occupants to be more focused, relaxed or energetic.
- Stronger sense of security
The right mix of lighting and aesthetics drastically changes one’s perception of their environment. Exterior grounds and parking areas are typically what people encounter first. But dark or unevenly lit areas can make arriving to the medical facility stressful, which is bad for patient health, staff productivity and visitors who often impact patient well-being. Good lighting is a sincere form of welcome.
From improved patient recovery to a stronger sense of security, the right lighting helps healthcare facilities create a positive experience for patients, visitors and medical personnel.