One of the key elements of a well-designed hospital room is an electrical panel or “power bar” placed on a console above the patient’s bed. Without such a hub, it is harder for medical staff to plug in equipment. Hospitals rooms that don’t feature these hubs are ill-designed, and patients in poorly-designed rooms need to be moved often when new equipment comes in or old equipment is moved out. Moving the patient frequently is not restful for him or her, so any functional design elements that support more rest for the patient are important. A “head well” that offers centralized electrical outlets is an excellent feature that is always present in the most modern and well-conceived hospital rooms. Great hospital design must provide adequate lighting to the patient – this means the best hospital rooms will feature beds that are placed close to windows. Giving patients access to natural light is a great idea – being able to see the outdoors may also be quite inspiring as patients heal in their hospital beds. Without access to natural light, patients may feel sad or lethargic. The best hospital rooms offer natural light, as well as a pleasing color scheme that is designed to be cheery and positive. Warm colors of paint, such as peach, cream, and butter yellow, may be energizing to ill patients – depressing tones, such as greyish-white and dove-grey, should be avoided. Restful shades, such as soothing blues and greens, may also be a good option for well-designed hospital rooms. Lighting and painting choices should be carefully considered to improve the patient care experience. Stellar hospital rooms will feature the right flooring – today, the modern consensus is that carpeting is the ideal choice. While it may seem that carpeting is “dirtier” than traditional industrial rubber floor panels, it’s actually been proven that rubber floors carry more germs and toxins. Carpet is cleaner, and it also deters slips and falls (which are far more common on rubber or tile hospital flooring). Choosing a nice, neutral shade of carpeting is often wise – multicolored, variegated designs may be unpleasant to look at. Carpets must be cleaned and maintained on a regular basis to ensure that they remain healthy choices for well-designed hospital rooms. The best hospital rooms will feature pumps filled with anti-bacterial gels for instant “hand-washing” – with these pumps in place, staff and patients may immediately disinfect their hands after having contact with others. In a hospital setting, the spread of viruses and pathogens can be disastrous – especially in very ill patients. Therefore, it’s very important that modern sanitizing gels are available in convenient, wall-mounted dispensers that are easy for patients, doctors, nurses and visitors to access. The design elements outlined here are important factors that may affect the health and well-being of patients – for this reason, hospital administrators are putting a lot of emphasis on great hospital room design. Anyone who cares for patients or oversees a health care facility should strive to improve their hospital rooms to promote a more functional, comfortable atmosphere. Related reading – Commercial Blinds