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Scientific/Medical Question 20


What is hospital care like from a patient's perspective?
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Excellent Answer
The hospital environment and behaviour of health care providers within the hospital can predict patients’ perception of care quality.
 
An inpatient - depending on the cause of their admission - will likely spend the vast majority of time in their hospital bed. In the average UK hospital, they will probably be in a room with a few other patients. In certain wards, or if they have certain conditions, they will receive their own side room.
 
In their room, the patient has plenty of time to note the organisation of the hospital. They will see whether ward rounds are well-organised, whether they happen regularly, and whether the team seems efficient. A kind, caring team is noticed; as is a team that is simply in a hurry to get through a process.
 
The general atmosphere of the wards has an effect too. Are they well-decorated, and has thought been given to paintings and other such decor? Numerous studies have been done on the impact of art and design on patients’ sense of wellbeing.
 
Hospitals can be overwhelming for a patient - many are large, with little help to navigate them, and not enough thought given to making them a pleasant place to stay.