A study by Clemson University’s Center for Health Facilities Design and Testing found that hospital room layout, especially bathroom placement, can affect patient recovery and staff effectiveness. The research was published in the Health Environments Research & Design Journal (HERD). It reports that patient room design can influence safety, mobility, and care delivery for both patients and clinicians.
The project started when Indiana University Health (IU Health) asked for advice on designing patient rooms for its new Adult Academic Health Center in Indianapolis. IU Health had already set room sizes and window locations but wanted help with layouts that could meet changing needs. Anjali Joseph, director of the Clemson center and lead researcher, said that hospital room design is important because these spaces are used for decades without major changes.
Clemson researchers worked with IU Health to build and test full-scale mock-ups of patient rooms. Nurses, therapists, physicians, facility managers, and architects tried different layouts in simulated care situations. The study found that clinicians preferred rooms with bathrooms on the exterior wall near the foot of the bed. This layout improved patient mobility, gave better sight lines, and allowed easier access during emergencies…