The healthcare industry is constantly evolving as is the interior design of healthcare facilities. Modern hospitals and clinics no longer carry the characteristic gloomy and depressing appearance that defined them for long; they have now embraced a novel interior design approach that strives to create a supportive and positive, pro-healing environment. This blog will sketch the evolution of healthcare interior designing with a focus on evidence-based and hygiene-friendly designs that follow the principles of design unity across the entire facility.

A Paradigm Design Shift

The evolution of healthcare interior designing is marked by a shift towards creating the best ambiance and experience for patients. In that sense, it shares some common ground with the design elements used in hospitality assets in terms of aesthetics and convenience. In other words, interior design for the healthcare sector has completely shunned the traditional “passive look and feel, and strictly functional” approach. The focus is on contributing to the core mission of the facility—delivering quality health care to patients—in a value-added fashion. Smart interior designers apply design concepts that enhance patient care, maintaining a good balance among creativity, aesthetics, patient safety, and convenience.

Elements of Evidence-Based Designs

Research and evidence play a crucial role in modern healthcare interior designing. What is in vogue is evidence-based designs that help build environments that significantly improve patient outcomes. Modern interior designs are driven by a “design to heal better” philosophy, and seek to enhance the healing process by ensuring a welcoming, positive and relaxing environment.

Natural elements and colours are integrated into the design of healthcare centres as studies have emphasized their healing power. Plants and water have now become integral design elements as they support patient outcomes naturally. Modern healthcare facilities are increasingly adopting holistic interior design styles that smartly harness the healing potential of natural light. Further, they are keen on applying the best colour schemes so that patients benefit from the therapeutic effect of colours.

Importance of Hygiene-Friendly Designs

Two factors that matter most in healthcare interior design are hygiene and cleanability. Furniture pieces that minimize surface contamination and furnishings that reduce the accumulation of pathogens are widely used by today’s healthcare interior designers. The trend is to enhance the beauty and functionality of healthcare facilities by using specially designed antimicrobial drapes and innovative textile coatings (that prevent the spread of germs). Furniture pieces with surfaces that help facility management staff maintain good hygiene and beauty are preferred over wooden-surfaced furniture pieces.

Maintaining Design Unity

While healthcare interior design is evolving, the fundamentals of design remain the same. A consistent and uniform design approach is still relevant in terms of branding perspective. As a healthcare facility undergoes expansion or renovations over time, maintaining design unity assumes significance.

In conclusion, healthcare interior designing has come a long way, and the sector believes in contributing to the core mission of healthcare facilities by supporting the delivery of quality healthcare. Evidence-based designs, hygiene-friendly designs, and maintaining design unity across the facility are crucial elements in modern healthcare interior designing.

As a leading interior designer in Dubai, Pinnacle Interiors is uniquely positioned to provide world-class interior design solutions for hospitals and other healthcare centres. We take pride in our expertise and experience to provide world-class interior design solutions for hospitals that guarantee high value for money. We offer scalable and future-ready interior designing for all types of healthcare facilities. We focus on quality design elements that completely support patient care, while always keeping pace with the evolving patient preferences and government policies. Call us today for a consultation.