Researchers have used virtual reality (VR) to investigate how hospital room environments affect stroke survivors’ emotions and preferences.
35 stroke survivors were interviewed about their experience of being in virtual reality (VR) hospital physical environments. The researchers sought to investigate how stroke patients experienced and perceived different aspects of the hospital room design, how these affected emotional responses and the responses to variations in room designs through VR.
Physical design attributes of the VR rooms included patient room type (e.g. single, multi-patient), spaciousness, outdoor greenery view, design to enable social connectivity and night-time noise.
Patients were interviewed about the rooms. Three main were identified, namely: 1) physical design’s impact on action and clinical care; 2) connecting with others, nature and place (such as views through windows or corridors) and; 3) furnishings, space and technology offering a sense of control (such as accessibility of furnishings near bed and control of privacy).
The results describe how the physical attributes of hospital room designs can affect emotional responses in stroke patients, offering guidance on the impact of noise, green spaces and connectiveness with others in the hospital environment. The researchers conclude with a discussion around the study highlighting the need for thoughtful design elements in hospital environments, while also presenting a promising avenue for improving the recovery experience after stroke.
Reference: Shannon, M.M., Lipson-Smith, R., Elf, M., White, M., Olver, J., Yang, T., & Bernhardt, J. (2025). Exploration of hospital room design on emotions, activity, and social connections after stroke: a qualitative study of patient experiences using virtual reality. Disability and Rehabilitation.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2025.2451771
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