Are you looking to furnish your medical waiting room, while designing it to be as comfortable as possible for your guests? Our blog post covers tips on designing your healthcare waiting room to meet the needs of your patients and provide a relaxing experience.
Waiting Room Times
Problem: No one likes to wait.
Waiting for appointments can be frustrating, but with the right combination of things, you may be able to improve your patient's waiting experience and alleviate stress from their wait. You may not be able to control how long they wait, but you can at least control how comfortable they feel while waiting.
Solution: Make Guests Comfortable!
From lighting to artwork and more, there are a variety of ways to help make your guests more comfortable while they wait.
Color Choices
Stress Relieving Colors
Colors can be very important in relieving stress while you wait. The families of Pantone® colors shown below, can be helpful in creating a stress-free environment while your patient waits. Try to stick with lighter colors that create the illusion of extra space and stay away from bold colors that can feel too heavy.
Lighting
Having a space that is over lit like an office is not relaxing and may add to stress. Consider adding multiple light sources and incorporating natural light, if possible, to improve the overall atmosphere.
Family/Kids Play Area
Positioning of lobby furniture is very important in keeping adults and children calm during their wait. Make sure to think about grouping of furniture so that families may sit together. Don't forget that a play area for children is very important as well!
Artwork
Carefully chosen artwork can contribute to a positive and relaxing patient experience. Consider including relaxing art such as flowers and nature related paintings. Stay away from artwork that could be considered busy and distracting.
Music
Music is a nice alternative to a television in your waiting room and provides a calming, peaceful experience versus a distracting television. Researchers have found that relaxing music promotes the release of endorphins and immunoglobulins. Slow and stable tempo music without a lot of percussive and accented rhythms are ideal.
Furniture Configurations
It's important to take into consideration both privacy and the way people communicate when designing your waiting area. Having u-shaped and square-shaped configurations versus the standard side-by-side can go a long way and make your guests feel they have options when it comes to where they sit that's most comfortable to them.
Download the Designing Medical Waiting Rooms infographic here.