Eight months ago I walked into Glen Meade Center for Women’s Health for my sons first trimester ultrasound and was immediately taken back by the art décor. In the lobby, exam rooms, and halls there were impressionist Tuscan landscape prints coupled with classic new born baby shots on stretch canvases. Art of this variety was very disconcerting to see in a healthcare space such as this.
Evidence-based art or EBD, which is the study of emphasizing credible evidence to influence design in the healthcare setting to improve patient and staff well being, patient healing, stress reduction, and safety, explicitly recommends vivid and vibrant images of nature. Only art that is derived from the natural world, that can sooth, calm, and bring to ease those who inhabit the intrinsically stressful healthcare environment. Art work of newborns and impressionist paintings do not deliver these benefits and can even cause harm to patients.
Consider the setting of the Women’s Clinic where the artwork of newborns is being displayed. This is a place where families sometimes have to hear tragic news concerning their new born child. Staring at a piece of art depicting a healthy newborn while hearing intense and life changing news can not only be unpleasant but may even cause added duress to patient or family members. With this in mind, I wanted to make a change for the better for both the patients and healthcare staff.
Now eight months later, after working a variety of channels, I am pleased to announce that Glen Meade Center for Women’s Health has purchased and installed 25 of my pieces that encapsulate this holistic evidence based approach to art. Since the installation, I have received an outpouring of positive feedback from patients, doctors, and nurses, who have experienced the new installations in the space. I am confident that this is a change that truly benefits both the patient and the care provider.
– Sean D. Ruttkay