A Search for Day-Lit Hospital to Accelerate Clinical Recovery

Ashikur Rahman Joarder, PhD
Research Student, HaCIRIC,
Department of Civil and Building Engineering,
Loughborough University, UK

A Search for Day-lit Hospital to Accelerate Clinical Recovery (Click here to download full paper)

A well balanced and good visual environment is of major importance to patients’ health. Information about the impacts of daylight on clinical recovery to assess the need for modernisation of existing hospitals and to evaluate alternative strategies for new hospital design is necessary for an evidence-based design solution.

This research is a part of a larger project funded by HaCIRIC (Health and Care Infrastructure Research and Innovation Centre). The objective of this experimental study is to test ‘Biophilia Hypothesis’ by investigating how daylight alone impacts on clinical recovery. Firstly, a number of UK hospitals were audited to establish a picture of current practice and to identify key issues where daylight design could broadly enhance the environment for patients.

Then one hospital was chosen as ‘Example Case’. In the second stage a sample of patients who were all adult and all of whom were undergoing heart surgery were taken from the example case. Keeping the average illumination levels same in all situations the first group of patients were kept in units with natural light and views through windows.

Another group of patients were kept in units under complete artificial lighting. The third group of patients were kept in units where daylight is available but outdoor view is restricted. The recovery rates of three patients group was identified by how much time the patient spent in hospital and the amount and strength (strong/weak) of painkillers taken by the groups.

As the cost of painkillers for hospitals is in direct proportion to their strength, these alone points to important potential savings. There was a statistically significant relation between presence of daylight and clinical recovery rate. Thus daylight could be used to promote patient’s health. Design strategies to include daylight into hospital buildings have been discussed explaining design strategies to achieve standards and to accelerate clinical recovery rate. It is expected that the outcome of this research will develop model and evidence based solutions that will create an opportunity to rethink about sustainable hospital design.

Keywords: Hospital Design, Daylighting, Clinical Recovery