Patient room design could actually reduce the amount of pain patients experience, lead to shorter hospital stays and decrease physician and staff errors, according to an article on the Fierce Healthcare website.

Patients who stay in specially designed rooms at the University Medical Center of Princeton — which opened in 2012 and feature an outdoor view, a fold-out sofa for guests and a drug dispensary — ask for 30 percent less pain medication, according to the article.

The hospital reports that patient satisfaction ratings are in the 99th percentile, compared to just 61 percent in the facility's old location, while infection rates and the number of adverse events are lower than ever, according to a New York Times article quoted by Fierce Healthcare. 

Although many hospitals strive to improve patient satisfaction and recovery through aesthetics, they often don't choose the right designs to hit their targeted audience, according to a Bloomberg View opinion piece by columnist Virginia Postrel.

There's great contrast between pediatric care units, where hospitals take great care to make patients feel safe and at home, and units for adult patients, which can feel less cheerful.

Read the article.