Healing environment of pediatric wards

Abstract Healing, unlike curing, is a psychological and spiritual concept of health. As perception is also psychological, it is most likely that a relationship exists between healing and the physical environment. What is the status of design trends in relation to the healing environment in Malaysian pediatric wards? Based on a pilot study, this paper evaluated three pediatric wards which depicted design trends of the last three decades. The methodology involved evaluation toolkits, photographic documentations and unstructured interviews. Despite positive design trends for the healing environment, those lacked considerations for pediatric ergonomics and audio theraphies. Implications of the findings were discussed.

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