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A Good News Story: Old Ideas Rediscovered
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A Good News Story: Old Ideas Rediscovered
A hospital in the UK that has opened a beautiful rooftop garden where critically ill patients can spend time outdoors while still receiving intensive care. The idea is that fresh air, sunlight, and nature will help improve recovery and reduce the stress and delirium that can come with long stays in intensive care.
But as you are all proberly aware in many ways, this isn’t a new idea at all.
Long before antibiotics, hospitals and sanatoria caring for patients with tuberculosis and other respiratory illnesses were deliberately designed around fresh air, sunlight, rest, and time outdoors. Open-air wards, balconies, verandas, and rooftop sleeping areas were once considered an essential part of healing.
Perhaps, in our pursuit of ever more sophisticated technology, we are starting to remember our surroundings also help us heal.
Let’s hope this is more than a one-off project.
Just imagine if hospitals everywhere began designing healing spaces where patients and their families could experience nature, daylight, and fresh air as part of recovery.
What Do you think it would it take to make this the norm in every hospital?
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6 Replies
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Dr Ryan Cole spoke at length on the topic of full-spectrum light and its effect on health at the last IMA annual meeting.
Full-spectrum light bulbs are expensive but available. Hospitals could buy and install them if they cared to. The research shows that people working in “graveyard” shifts (11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a. m.) have less absenteeism and less general health issues after the bosses install full-spectrum lights.
There is also a treatment for depression which involves using a full-spectrum light box early in the morning. It works.
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In the 80’s and 90’s I volunteered at the Planetree Library in San Jose, CA. This was pre-internet where photocopies of medical journal articles were stored in filing cabinets and the public could come read/copy them for free. The Planetree organization also worked with local hospitals on the hospital environment such as sunlight, good lighting and wall colors, better food, etc. They educated the medical staff on how it affected healing. I had hoped these ideas had continued, and grown, but I don’t know.
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It looks like it shut its doors in 2024.
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What Do you think it would it take to make this the norm in every hospital?
The answer is easy: monetize it.
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It certainly feels that’s the only thing that leads to an idea being adopted.
So lets come up with some mad ideas that could be used to charge people for this service 😅
“Coming soon to a hospital near you…
Premium Fresh Air™
Because healing is important… but monetising every square foot is apparently even more important.”
A couple to get started
🌳 The Basic Breathing Package
First 5 minutes of fresh air: Free
Minutes 6–15: $12
Oxygen-rich premium air surcharge: $4
🌞 Sunshine Access Fee
Morning sunlight: Included
Afternoon sunshine: Peak pricing
Sunset viewing: Premium Experience ($49.95)
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