Hospital Murals Evaluation (HoME)

The design of hospitals and care settings makes a difference to the experiences of patients, staff, and visitors. In the first study of its kind, the Hospital Murals Evaluation (HoME) seeks to advance a robust understanding of the impact that murals in hospitals and other clinical settings can have on people who view these large visual artworks.

Scope

The project includes a formative evaluation in Nigeria, Slovenia, the US, and the UK, assessing possible correlations between viewing murals and workplace belonging, the perceived quality of care, and wellbeing. The chosen project sites will include murals on display in a variety of locations within hospital settings, such as waiting rooms and lobbies, patient wards, and walkways.

Studies have demonstrated that murals promote public health in neighbourhoods, and artists have been commissioned the world over to transform spaces in healthcare settings. This evaluation will lay the groundwork for future analyses, and inspire momentum and investment in transforming healthcare environments into true spaces of healing across diverse cultural contexts. The project was initiated in October 2023, with an anticipated completion date of October 2025. 

Deliverables

In the first stage of HoME, researchers will complete a scoping review that draws on existing evidence about how the visual arts impact wellbeing, wellness, and belonging in healthcare settings. Researchers will also conduct an initial evaluation to identify and map key community members’ perceptions of the impact of murals in hospitals. 

The second stage of HoME will draw on these learnings, and embark on a formative evaluation with data collected from patients, visitors and caretakers, and healthcare staff, with the aim of discovering what matters most about these murals in each cultural context.  

Project team

Led by Marcel Foster (JAHL, NYU Steinhardt) and Dr Nisha Sajnani (JAHL, NYU Steinhardt), the research team consists of members from the Jameel Arts & Health Lab, the Center for Arts and Medicine at the University of Florida, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Norwich University of the Arts, the Arts in Medicine department at NYC Health + Hospitals, and the University Children's Hospital, University Medical Centre Ljubljana.

Support for this project is provided by the Alexander and Ilse Melamid Foundation and The Arts in Medicine department at NYC Health + Hospitals.

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