Aim: This dissertation called the COPE (Caring Optimized Physical Environment) project, aimed to evaluate the perceptions of patients, family members, and staff regarding support from the physical environment, with a focus on light, color, and person-centered climate, before and after there furbishment and remodeling of an emergency department (ED).

Methods: A quasi-experimental design was employed, implementing evidence-based design principles for light and color in the ED. The study evaluated the perceived support and person-centered climate among participants using a newly developed and validated questionnaire, the Light and Color Questionnaire (LCQ). It also validated a Swedish version of the Person-centered Climate Questionnaire for family members (PCQ-F). A total of 600 participants, including patients, family members, and staff, were included in the study.

Results: The scores for the perceptions of light and color and person centered climate were higher after the redesign than before for patients, family members, and staff. Thus, redesign of a healthcare environment based on knowledge and experience in light and color design corresponded with a positive change in self rated perceived support of that environment to all three groups: patients, family members, and staff. The redesign involved enhancing access to natural daylight by incorporating additional windows and diverse artificial lighting options. The redesign also included the use of color coding to facilitate way finding and uniform colors for shared floor surfaces and contrasting colors for non-patient areas to enhance safety.

Conclusion: The intervention, which focused on optimizing lighting and color in the ED, coincided with an increased perceived support from light and color for patients, family members, and staff. Further, the changes in light and color, along with the overall redesign, concurred with a higher score for perceived person-centered climate. These findings emphasize the importance of evidence-based design interventions and highlight the potential benefits they can bring to staff and patients in other health care settings.