Integrating Evidence-Based Design to Model Patient Satisfaction in Hospital Environments: Insights from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini (RA), Bahman, and Gandhi Hospitals

In contemporary healthcare, patient satisfaction is acknowledged as a critical indicator of service quality. Hospital architecture, when guided by patient-centered principles, can substantially enhance satisfaction, alleviate stress, and improve treatment outcomes. The patient-oriented approach shifts the focus from purely clinical processes to the holistic experience of the patient, emphasizing spatial, psychological, and environmental factors. Evidence-Based Design (EBD) further reinforces this approach by employing systematic, data-driven analyses to assess how architectural and interior design features impact patient experience and well-being. This study aims to develop a practical model for enhancing patient satisfaction through hospital architecture grounded in patient-centered principles. The research employs a descriptive-analytical methodology, combining field observations, literature review, and empirical data collection through structured questionnaires administered to 224 hospitalized patients in Imam Khomeini (RA), Bahman, and Gandhi Hospitals. Data analysis was conducted using regression and correlation techniques within the ASPECT framework and SPSS26 software, enabling the identification of relationships between specific environmental features and patient satisfaction levels. Results indicate that Gandhi Hospital, which implemented patient-centered design features most extensively, achieved the highest satisfaction score (mean: 3.901), followed by Bahman Hospital (mean: 3.539), while Imam Khomeini (RA) Hospital recorded the lowest score (mean: 2.779). Regression analyses highlighted that factors such as access to natural light, spatial legibility, noise control, and privacy exerted the strongest positive influence on patient satisfaction. Based on these findings, a model integrating high-impact architectural and interior design elements was proposed to optimize patient experience and overall hospital performance. The study demonstrates that a systematic, evidence-based approach to hospital design not only reduces patient stress and enhances satisfaction but also provides actionable guidance for architects, designers, and healthcare managers. By linking environmental factors with measurable outcomes, this model offers a structured framework for improving healthcare quality and advancing patient-centered architectural strategies.