3 Ways Color & Themes Can Relieve Patient Stress

In 1942, Kurt Goldstein, who theorized the differences between the colors green and red, found that color impacted time perception and could lead to time distortions. The 1971 report by Nourse and Welch revealed that there are “physiological correlates of emotional attributes of color.” In 1988, NASA published a report titled The Human Factors of Color in Environmental Design: A Critical Review which described “color” as three recognized subjective dimensions of color: hue, saturation, and brightness. That study intended to review “the extant research literature on environmental color with special reference to its utility in the design of space station interiors.” NASA states that hospitals replaced the color white on walls and clothing with the color green, as a means of minimizing the afterimages experienced by staff in operating rooms.?

· Green?is affiliated with growth, healing, renewal, and nature. This color is often used in waiting areas and patient rooms to invoke a calming effect. When compared to the color red, green was found to produce a more calming effect on emotional states.?

· Yellow?is associated with warmth, comfort, nature, and brightness. This color can help visitors and patients of all ages to feel comfortable and more at peace than brighter and darker colors.?

· Blue?is known to create awareness, increase productivity, and support focus. It’s a calming color associated with the sky, water, and nature. Being alert in?healthcare facilities?will benefit practitioners. Patients will feel less stressed when surrounded by calming colors used in common areas.

Patients, visitors, and staff react to visual affiliations in a medical setting. Utilizing specific colors such as green, blue, yellow, or pink within a hospital or medical environment can help patients and visitors take less time to be calm versus darker or more profound colors. Subtle colors help the brain to process fewer environmental factors so the focus can be on self-soothing. Colors can and should be used in every facet of interior design within healthcare facilities but thought should be given to the colors selected. For example, it is important to consider the audience (age, dominant culture, patient or staff, etc.) as well as light sources in a particular environment (fluorescent lights, natural light, etc.), and of course, the purpose of the space (waiting room, patient room, operating room, staff break rooms, etc.). These considerations are essential in creating a supportive and calm environment for all patients, guests, and hospital staff.

Patient rooms and waiting rooms can be decorated with themes, textures, art, and signage that promote a minimal aesthetic while encouraging peace and rest to help the experience be a positive one. When selecting décor for healthcare facilities, a theme is often considered. It is important to consider themes that mesh well with the colors being considered but typically speaking, themes revolving around nature and animals are well received. Consider art in the form of?wall graphics or murals?and canvas prints depicting oceans, forests, mountains, etc. Many healthcare facilities choose to play off the natural elements in the geographic region where they are located. Local artists can be invited to submit photos that can be turned into beautiful pieces of art while helping encourage the community to support local artists. These scenes are familiar and comforting to patients and their guests.

Should your healthcare facility be in the process of rebranding or remodeling and need ideas for how themes and colors can be incorporated into all areas of your facility, contact the experts at?your local Signarama. Our sign experts can visit the facility and make recommendations to help bring your overall design together and make sure the whole look is cohesive – from exterior signage to lobby signs, wayfinding and directional signage, and art such as wall graphics and canvas prints.