RESEARCH HERD VOLUME 6, NUMBER 1, PP 104-00 COPYRIGHT ©2012 VENDOME GROUP, LLC 104 WWW.HERDJOURNAL.COM ISSN: 1937-5867 The Environment of Inpatient Healthcare Delivery and Its Influence on the Outcome of Care Margaret O’Connor, DN; Anthony O’Brien, PhD; Melissa Bloomer, MN(Hons); Julia Morphett, MN(Ed); Louise Peters, PhD; Helen Hall, MMid; Arlene Parry, MEd; Katrina Recoche, MN; Susan Lee, PhD; and Ian Munro, PhD Abstract Aim: This paper addresses issues arising in the literature regarding the environmental design of inpatient healthcare settings and their impact on care. Background: Environmental design in healthcare settings is an important feature of the holistic delivery of health- care. The environmental influence of the delivery of care is manifested by such things as lighting, proximity to bedside, technology, family involvement, and space. The need to respond rapidly in places such as emergency and intensive care can override space needs for family support. In some settings with aging buildings, the available space is no longer appropriate to the needs—for example, the need for privacy in emergency departments. Many aspects of care have changed over the last three decades and the environ- ment of care appears not to have been adapted to contem- porary healthcare requirements nor involved consumers in ascertaining environmental requirements. The issues found in the literature are addressed under five themes: the design of physical space, family needs, privacy consider- ations, the impact of technology, and patient safety. Conclusion: There is a need for greater input into the design of healthcare spaces from those who use them, to incorporate dignified and expedient care delivery in the care of the person and to meet the needs of family. Key Words: Environment, space, healthcare, design, quality Author Affiliations: All authors are affiliated with the School of Nurs- ing & Midwifery, Monash University, Frankston, Australia. Corresponding Author: Dr. Margaret O’Connor, Monash University, PO Box 527 Frankston, 3199 Victoria AUSTRALIA (margaret.oconnor@ monash.edu) Preferred Citation: O’Connor, M., O’Brien, A., Bloomer, M., Morphett, J., Peters, L., Hall, H., … Munro, I. (2012). The environment of inpatient healthcare delivery and its influence on the outcome of care. Health Environments Research & Design Journal, 6(1), 105–117. Introduction In Australia and internationally, modern hospitals are characterized by highly sophisticated design and the ever-increasing technical nature of therapeutic care (Ritchey & Stichler, 2008). Within hospitals and health services, the design of the environment can have a positive or negative impact on patient and family care and treatment outcomes. Evidence suggests that the design of spaces for people requiring care, including orientation, color, and décor, can inluence the psychosocial well-being of both patients and families as well as health outcomes (Corey, Wallace, Harris, & Casey, 1986; Duncan, 2011; Karlin & Zeiss, 2006; Stichler, 2001). he healthcare environments of inpatient care vary considerably between settings, with some spaces