Islam and the Healthcare Environment: Designing Patient Rooms

Abstract

Islam and the Muslim population are often the source of much misunderstanding and media-influenced misconceptions. Muslim patients who enter the healthcare environment are often weak and likely to experience feelings of vulnerability. Because of the complex and interwoven nature of culture and religion in a person's identity, it is important to consider patient belief systems and values when designing a patient's immediate environment. Through an exploration of literature related to culture and diversity and the beliefs and value system of the Muslim population, the authors were able to identify flexible design initiatives that could accommodate an array of cultural and spiritual practices. Islam and the Muslim population were chosen as the points of reference for this study because of the strong influence of the religion on the culture, and because of the many nuances that differ from the dominant culture within the United States. From these points of reference, a hypothetical design was developed for a patient room that considers differing notions of privacy, alternatives for cultural and religious practices, and ways to include symbolic meaning derived from attributes such as color.

Revisiting Healing Environments: Islamic Interior Elements in Hospital Rooms in North Africa

“…Diversity, inclusion, and health equity are considered vital to society’s well-being, and in order to understand the relationship between the Muslim patient and the healthcare environment, it is essential to understand that Muslim tradition requires a high degree of auditory and visual privacy (Kopec & Han, 2008). Importantly, because Islam requires followers to face a certain direction for prayer, designers can accommodate the needs of Muslim patients by keeping the northeast sections of the room free from clutter and distraction (Kopec & Han, 2008). Thus, adapting the patient’s spiritual and cultural needs to build flexibility into the hospital room design speaks into the core values of the organization entrusted with patient care.…”

“…The lack of studies on culturally appropriate auditory, visual, and tactile tastes as components of the overall healthcare plan has been concerning (Kopec & Han, 2008). Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify patient preferences to draft guidelines for designers of single occupancy hospital rooms with implications for a healthcare setting in parts of the globe that adheres to equity in healthcare, particularly catering to Islamic design.…”

Design Research and the Globalization of Healthcare Environments

“…Religion is an integral part of most health belief systems. Culture and religion are interwoven in a person's identity (Kopec & Han, 2008) and patients may derive hope and inspiration from cultural and religious artifacts in healthcare settings.…”

“…Furnham and Smith (1988) suggest that the seemingly disparate worldviews of East and West are reconcilable and may be manifested in the high-tech/high touch philosophy of many healthcare facilities. “Given the profound effects of culture and spirituality on one's identity and subsequent behaviors, it stands to reason that a physical environment that supports cultural and spiritual beliefs would contribute positively to one's health and recovery” (Kopec & Han, 2008, p. 116).…”

New Beginnings

“…For a lot of people, the healthcare environment can be daunting, especially when a care receivers' cultural beliefs are different from those of the dominant culture (Kopec & Han, 2008). Considerations of culturally appropriate visual, or tactile opportunities in the design of a healthcare facility is often neglected (Kopec & Han, 2008).…”