title: Qualities of Inpatient Hospital Rooms: Patients' Perspectives.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this qualitative study was to investigate what design features of hospital rooms are valued by inpatients.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Little research has explored how patients evaluate the physical environment of their hospital rooms. Most responses are captured by the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey, which includes only two questions about the physical environment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred thirty-six orthopedic patients (78 in the United States and 158 in Portugal) listed three features of their hospital room that influenced their level of satisfaction with their hospital stay, indicating whether the feature was positive or negative.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The comments were more positive (71.4%) than negative (28.6%). Using the framework of supportive design from Ulrich, over half the comments (64.31%) could be categorized in one of the three dimensions: 33.2% (positive distraction), 22.4% (perceived control), and 6.0% (social support). This total includes Internet (2.7%), which could be categorized as either social support or positive distraction. Comments called "other aspects" focused on overall environmental appraisals, cleanliness, and functionality and maintenance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of comments could be accommodated by Ulrich's theory, but it is noteworthy that other aspects emerge from patients' comments and affect their experience. Cross-cultural differences pointed to the greater role of light and sun for Portuguese patients and health status whiteboard for U.S.
  
  
  METHODS
  Qualitative research can add significantly to our understanding of the healthcare experience and may inform design decisions.
authors.affiliation: Connecticut College, New London, CT, USA asdev@conncoll.edu.
authors.forename: Ann Sloan
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Devlin
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigação e Intervenção Social (CIS-IUL), Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Cláudia Campos
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.affiliation: CAPP, ISCSP, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Carvalho
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003237:Connecticut; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology*; D007374:Interior Design and Furnishings / Q000592:standards*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009985:Orthopedics / Q000592:standards*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010362:Patients' Rooms / Q000592:standards*; D011174:Portugal; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: cross-cultural differences; inpatient rooms; orthopedic patients; patient satisfaction; theory of supportive design