Hello, I'm Dana Taylor, and this is a special episode of USA Today's The Excert.

When we think about health care, we tend to focus on the medicine, the machines, the doctors,

but what if the design of a hospital room could play just as big a role in how we heal?

There's a growing body of research showing that our physical surroundings,

especially those that connect us to nature, can have a significant impact on patient outcomes.

The concept is called biophilic design,

bringing elements of the natural world into built spaces. In hospitals, it turns out, are

starting to take notice. Can better design of medical settings be the secret to unlock a better

and faster recovery? Here to explore this idea with us is Dr. J. Maddock, a professor

of public health at Texas A&M University, and a leading expert on how our environments shape

our physical and mental well-being. Dr. Maddoch, thanks for joining me today.

I'm thanks, and happy to be here. Hospital environments are often cold, sterile, and high stress.

What kinds of environmental cues seem to make the biggest difference in improving a patient's

mental or emotional state, which of course will contribute to a faster healing timeline?

Yeah, that's a great question.

Since the 80s, we've actually seen research that the view out the window probably makes

the biggest amount of difference.

The earliest study looked at people with a view of a park-like setting compared to a view

of another building.

And they found that people with the view of the park-like setting got out of the hospital faster,

used less painkillers, and had less post-op complications.

And so just that view seems to make a huge difference.

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