There are upwards of a dozen studies — most not about patient populations — showing that when people are experiencing acute stress, even a few minutes of exposure to a nature scene is helpful. There is an effect on the autonomic nervous system that enhances the healing process. Here are a few of the abstracts and their publications.

• Measuring the effects of art on medical outcomes is something Roger Ulrich, PhD, director and professor of the Center of Health Systems and Design in the College of Architecture at Texas A&M University, College Station, has been doing for some time. His research findings indicate that psychologically appropriate art can substantially affect outcomes such as blood pressure, anxiety, intake of pain medication, and length of hospital stay
  JAMA, Medical News & Perspectives, "The Arts of Healing” Vol.281, No.19
  
  
• Connection with nature is also highly valued; we prefer views of nature to those of the built environment. In a hospital study, views of nature were associated with reduced stress and fewer health-related complaints among employees. Students under the stress of examinations felt better after viewing nature scenes, and prisoners with a view of nature from their cells were less likely to attend sick call than those whose cells did not have such a view. In a retrospective study of patients who had undergone cholecystectomy, those assigned to rooms with a view of a natural setting had shorter postoperative stays and took fewer analgesic drugs than those whose rooms looked onto a brick wall. Taken together, these results suggest that views of nature provide therapeutic benefit.
  New England Journal of Medicine, "Healing by Design" Volume 333 (11)
  
  
• Findings from a few studies focusing on hospitals and other healthcare facilities suggest that views of nature can have important benefits in terms of improving patient clinical outcomes. At Uppsala University Hospital in Sweden, Outi Lundén, John Eltinge, and I (1993) investigated whether exposing heart surgery patients to simulated nature views would improve recovery outcomes. We assigned each 160 patients in intensive care to one of six visual stimulation conditions: two nature pictures (either a view of trees and water, or an enclosed forest scene); two abstract pictures; and two control conditions (either a white panel, or no picture or panel). Results suggested that patients who viewed the trees/water scene were significantly less anxious during the postoperative period than patients assigned to the other pictures and control conditions. Moreover, patients exposed to the trees/water view suffered less severe pain, as evidenced by the fact they shifted faster than other groups from strong narcotic pain drugs to moderate strength analgesics.
  Paper for conference, Plants for People, “Health Benefits of Gardens in Hospitals”, International Exhibition Floriade 2002
  
  
• "There is suggestive evidence that aspects of the designed environment exert significant effects on clinical outcomes for patients receiving medical care," Haya concluded in her preliminary report. [Haya Rubin, M.D., Ph.D., Director of Quality of Care Research, Johns Hopkins]
  Strategic Management, The Newsletter for Hospital Strategists, Volume 17, Number 2, February 1999
  
  
• Recent research has provided evidence that the overall hospital environment (in which art can have a vital role) does have an important impact. Roger Ulrich, Texas A&M University, investigated the effects of visual stimulation on the rate of recuperation. He found that patients with vibrant surroundings (e.g., paintings, flowers, an outside view, etc.) recovered three-quarters of a day faster, and needed fewer painkillers than those with dull surroundings.
  The Lancet, Volume 350(9077), Pryle Behrman, August 1997
  
  
• Atriums, artwork, and hotel-type amenities are part of a design trend in hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. Is this a fad, or does it make a difference in patient care?
  OR Design and Construction, “What does research show about healing environments?” March 2002
  
  
• Specifically, research shows that design that ignores basic psychological needs may actually lead to anxiety, elevated blood pressure and an increase in the use of pain-relieving drugs. Conversely, a warm and nurturing setting induces a relaxation response that can reduce medication levels and even decrease lengths of stay.
  Patient-focused Healing: Integrating Caring and Curing in Health Care, Nancy Moore and Henrietta Komras
  
  
• “Patients who are exposed to stress-reducing interventions in a healing environment show reductions in anxiety and increases in immunity that can be measured. The medical community is more accepting of the fact that having a patient look at a white ceiling and having nothing better to do than counting the tiles is not a good thing."
  SurgiCenter Online, “Healing Environments: Mitigating Patient Stress, Improving Medical Outcomes” By Kelly M. Pyrek
  
  
• Another vital aspect of the physical environment of the hospital concerns interior design and aesthetics which can have a dramatic impact on the mental and social well being of patients, their families and hospital staff. The use of color, texture and form to create pleasing environments ... are increasingly important in the health care sector.
  International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, "Creating health and health promoting hospitals: a worthy challenge for the twenty-first century" Trevor Hancock 12/2/99 viii-xix
  
  
• Improving Decor and Layout Can Have Impact on Care; Fewer Fractures and Infections.
  Hospitals, long a bastion of bad design and dreary décor, are finding that improving their layouts and their looks can translate into better health for their patients.
  The Wall Street Journal, Marketplace, “Healthy Hospital Designs”, Motoko Rich 11/27/02 (To download a PDF, click here)
  
  
• There's a theory supported by many studies that stress-free patients heal faster, and paying attention to such positive patient outcomes -- and thus lowered costs -- has led to a boom in the therapeutic design industry. Experts in the field encourage health care administrators to consider holistic approaches to patient care.
  Eureka Times-Standard, “Nature scenes add to holistic approach at Mad River”, January 12, 2003
  
  
• Now, as far as JCAHO is concerned, a "supportive" environment is just what the doctor ordered. This month, the Joint commission will publish major revisions to its hospital accreditation manual... Hospitals can comply by ... creating welcoming environments that support patient dignity. The changes follow years of work by the Center for Health Design, a Martinez, Calif., group that promotes patient-friendly environments. "Most hospitals don't take patients' needs and preferences into account when it comes to design," says founder and former president Wayne Ruga. "Health care people think of environmental solutions in terms of cost. It's much more a matter of making strategic investments."
  Hospitals & Health Networks, "Interiors, Doctored Design" Ken Garber, February 1999

More information is available at the National Library of Medicine web site.