Designers are bringing more residential elements into the waiting areas of healthcare facilities, according to an article on the Grand Rapids Business Journal website.
Studies have shown if the waiting room experience is more positive, patients carry that feeling into the exam and into the overall health care assessment, the article said.
Some waiting room elements are set up like a booth at a restaurant, with a video screen at one end to offer internet access and a bit of privacy while waiting.
Another is set up more like a living room, with couches around a video screen and a coffee table in the middle.