Approaches and Factors Affecting Healing Environment in Health Care Facilities for New Cities

Abstract

Design facilities for new cities is a mission with a responsibility towards both human resources and advancing the quality of life in these cities. Healthcare facilities (HCF), in particular, are regarded as a necessity in a rapidly developing world of new communities and cities. The main target of (HCF) is healing; failing to achieve this target is a crucial predicament that needs to be investigated. To attain healing, a design that cares about the welfare of occupants must be provided. To successfully create an effective healing environment, public participation of occupants, specifically cancer children, is required to accommodate their psychological, physiological and emotional needs- or needs that are necessary for their healing and recovery. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an increase from 14.1 million to 21.7 million new cancer cases from 2012 to 2030 respectively is estimated. Three times increase in cancer incidents relative to the year 2013 was estimated in Egypt. Therefore, healing design approaches for the physical environment of such facilities play a major role in patients’ well-being and health. The objective of this article is to identify the basic approaches and factors affecting healing environments in existing health care facilities through literature review and the analysis of case studies. The utmost aim is to deduce lessons learned in order to assist in creating HCF that are adaptable and suitable for the future. The study concluded a number of guideline criteria for the design of efficient health care facilities that are user-friendly and that would fit within new cities.