ABSTRACT
Interior design professionals are obligated by professional standards to protect the "health, safety, and welfare" of the people for whom they design. The potential of design to support the interactions between the patient and the provider in ways that empower people to be active participants in their own health and well-being will be explored. Designers must recognize how planning for health care services and spaces that support these services in areas may have unique dimensions. Adolescents' preferences for engaging in their own health care decisions will vary on a variety of personal factors. People living in long-term care settings want the same things that other people want: as much activity to one's taste as possible; freedom to do what they choose where and when they choose it; comfort and companionship with one's family and friends; and a safe environment. Health care is indeed complex, and user needs within a health care system are equally complex.
