The concept implies that the physical healthcare environment can make a difference in how quickly the patient recovers from or adapts to specific acute and chronic conditions.
[2] Nightingale outlined in detail the requirements of the "sick room" to minimize suffering and optimize the capacity of a patient to recover, including quiet, warmth, clean air, light, and good diet.
Starting in the 1960s, healing environments have been linked with evidence-based design (EBD), giving the concept a strong scientific base.
A 1984 study by Roger Ulrich found that surgical patients with a view of nature suffered fewer complications, used less pain medication and were discharged sooner than those who looked out on a brick wall.
[5] Today, the philosophy that guides the concept of the healing environment is rooted in research in the neurosciences, environmental psychology, psychoneuroimmunology, and evolutionary biology.
The common thread linking these bodies of research is the physiological effects of stress on the individual and the ability to heal.
Add to the perception and meaning attribute to any sound the factors of age-related hearing impairment common to older patients, heavy medication, pain, and other conditions, cognition is impacted as is the ability to understand language.
Malkin, Jain; Healing Environments at the Century Mark: the Quest for Optimal Patient Experiences; unpublished article by summarizing a presentation given at a mini-course sponsored by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and The Center for Health Design, October 2003.