Yellow walls, gray linoleum floors and a slightly pungent chemical smell – this is what patients can expect in many hospitals in Germany, not necessarily places to feel comfortable. Studies show that furnishings, colors and light can have a positive effect on patients’ recovery and recuperation. Staff also benefit from a harmonious architectural concept.
In recent decades, most hospitals in North Rhine-Westphalia have received new, modern buildings or renovated and refurbished existing ones. For the most part, the main aim was to increase efficiency. The Helios University Hospital in Wuppertal went its own way. As part of the renovation work, several studies on the connection between color and health were carried out together with the Chair of the Faculty of Design and Art at the University of Wuppertal. The focus was particularly on intensive care medicine. The results showed that “soft” environmental factors such as light and color also have a positive effect on the well-being and state of health of intensive care patients. In addition, the trust and satisfaction of relatives as well as the work motivation and identification of staff are strengthened. As a result, Professor Dr.-Ing. Axel Buether, color researcher and chair at the Faculty of Design and Art at the University of Wuppertal, redesigned the rooms of the intensive care clinic between 2017 and 2018 together with his team and head physician Dr. Gabriele Wöbker, specialist in anesthesia, neurology and neurosurgery.
Interplay of light and color
“A change doesn’t have to be expensive. For better lighting conditions, for example, we simply replaced the old neon lights with LED lights,” Buether explains to Rheinisches Ärzteblatt. This has significantly improved the color rendering index. “This shows us how realistically colors appear in certain lighting conditions,” explains the color researcher. Modern LED luminaires have an index of 90 percent and above – the surroundings appear much more natural and the luminaires even save energy. However, it is not only the light source that is decisive, but also the so-called color temperature. This is because it has a direct effect on the hormone balance. The cooler light around midday, also known as daylight white, increases serotonin levels. “It keeps us awake, gives us strength. Of course, patients in the intensive care unit don’t need that as a permanent burden,” says Buether. In the end, the color researchers chose two color temperatures: warmer for the patient rooms and the doctors’, nurses’ and carers’ lounges and cooler light for corridors and other public areas.
In the next step, the researchers turned their attention to the color scheme on the walls, ceilings and doors. “In many clinics, the ceilings and walls are painted in a shade of yellow – let’s call it a soft yellow. However, this is often perceived by patients and staff as faded and yellowed. We opted for a softer shade of sand, which looks white at first glance, but is more tactile and lively,” explains Buether. The walls in the wards were painted in different colors. A color orientation system was used here to make it easier for patients, staff and visitors to find their way around. The architectural concept of the University Hospital in Aachen, which still appears futuristic today, already used such clear color coding at the end of the 1970s. “Agitated relatives lose sight of the signs. A color code is very helpful for orientation, especially as the corridors of different wards and floors in hospitals usually look very similar,” says Buether, explaining the concept.
More well-being, less medication
“The assessments of patients and staff were recorded both quantitatively before and after the renovation using questionnaires and qualitatively via interviews. For us, the results of the study are a clear sign that a relatively small amount of work can have a big impact,” explains Head Physician Wöbker. “These changes are easy to adapt.” So far, there have only been a few studies worldwide that have proven the influence of architectural space on people’s well-being and state of health, adds color researcher Buether: “The research gap applies to the entire field of healthcare buildings.” Especially in intensive care, an inappropriate clinical environment can increase negative feelings such as anxiety, panic, disorientation, loneliness and depression.
As part of their accompanying study, Wöbker and her team investigated whether the lighting and room design also had an effect on medication consumption. Her conclusion: “The consumption of medication was significantly reduced. There were significant changes in acute neuroleptics in particular. In the comparison period, consumption fell by an average of 30 percent,” says the head physician. The results of the patient surveys showed that the new color and lighting concept had significantly changed the atmosphere in the patient rooms – the overall impression was friendlier and warmer. The perception of design factors increased by an average of 32 percent. The greatest increase was seen in the assessment of the color design (63 percent), closely followed by the feeling of privacy, which improved by 55 percent.
Another focus of the study accompanying the renovation was to examine the effects of color and light on the well-being and satisfaction of the medical and nursing staff. The researchers looked not only at intensive care medicine, but also at the entire building. The changed color scheme was most popular with the staff. Satisfaction levels here rose by almost 76 percent, followed by the noticeable 54 percent improvement in artificial lighting quality. General employee satisfaction also increased by twelve percent. According to Buether, it is particularly striking that the color scheme was able to reduce the sickness rate among nursing staff by around 35 percent. In addition, employees identified much more strongly with their workplace – an increase of almost 30 percent was achieved here. “If we express staff satisfaction in school grades, the initial grade of four has changed to a two. This change is an enormous success. The improved working atmosphere also means that employees feel more valued,” says Buether.
