ABSTRACT
This paper describes a review of the literature. There is evidence to show that patients receiving care in healthcare spaces that; eliminate environmental stressors, provide positive distractions, protect privacy and accommodate social interactions will recover faster, with shorter stays, and require less analgesia. In-patient accommodation is the most repeated volume of space within a hospital facility. The main driving force for design has been the need to provide the most cost effective layout that will meet clinical functions within a financial constraint. Patient treatment areas and bed spaces have traditionally been segregated by curtains so single rooms, especially those with en-suite facilities, offer the patient increased privacy and dignity. With healthcare service providers adopting a more consumerist view of the patient, and the changing ways that care will be delivered in the future, it seems appropriate to use ergonomic principles and qualitative methodologies to investigate patient needs, experiences and expectations of a healthcare bed space.
