Click on link above. This brochure has a lot of great information regarding evidence-based research and design in hospital/clinic setting. Why don’t patients have notepads to write notes on so they can actively participate in their own healthcare? Why don’t we have chairs, gowns, blankets, etc. that can accomodate people of all sizes?
We would like to propose two big projects that hospitals can work toward and a few small, inexpensive ideas that hospitals can integrate into their current systems, now.
First BIG Project– indoor/outdoor healing garden
Benefits would include recreation for patients and staff, patient therapy, cleaner hospital air, connection to nature, education on nutrition and healthy eating, collaboration with the community and surrounding universities, positive diversion for families dealing with stress and grief, student volunteer opportunities for surrounding schools, to name a few. The following link has a picture that represent the sort of environment we want to encourage hospitals to create:
http://www.travelblog.org/Photos/3397544
Other pictures: 
Hospitals can choose to implement a variety of gardens in addition to a vegetable garden, such as a “zen” garden or tropical garden. Each garden could include things like a waterfall or river, chairs, flowers, and natural or natural spectrum lighting.
Second BIG idea– Prototypical patient room that incorporates patient-desired decor, color, “homey” atmosphere, etc. Patients can control room temperature, lighting, smell of room, and sounds in room.
Benefits include less patient, caregiver, and family stress, patient comfort, faster recovery, etc.
Small ideas include adding single plants, chalkpaint on walls for families to leave words of support, notepad for patient notetaking, different types of chairs to accomadate larger size patients or families, and ceramic tile decorating for patients to add to the garden.
