WELL-PLANNED GREEN

SPACES IMPROVE MEDICAL

OUTCOMES, SATISFACTION
AND QUALITY OF CARE:

Dr. Atif Riaz

Institute of Horticultural Sciences,

University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
Horticultural therapy
 A practice, which uses plants, horticultural
activities , natural world to endorse awareness
and well being by improving the
 body
 mind
 spirit

 Benefits occur when people are exposed to

plants and take part in planning, planting,
growing and caring for plants
Plants and natural landscapes may enhance
human well being by

 causing positive physiological and psychological

responses,
 by affecting human behavior
 by modifying physical factors of the environment
such as relative humidity of the air (Relf and Lohr,
2003).
 Gardening and horticulture have been used as
a therapy for different groups of people to
promote health, well-being and social
inclusion (Sempik, 2004).

 An active treatment tool in many hospitals.

Being used at a variety of facilities including
 Psychiatric hospitals
 Physical rehabilitation hospitals
 Nursing homes and prisons
 Programs to develop mentally disabled
 Vocational training and substance abuse programs
 Faisalabad - an industrial city, known as
Manchester of Pakistan, due to presence of
large textile units and markets.

 Facing many problems including

 Over population
 Pollution
 Health issue
 Social problems
 Psychological problems
 Contain many prominent hospitals
 Khadija Mahmood trust hospital
 Civil hospital
 Allied Hospital
 To understand the people opinion about the
HT, gardening activities and its effect in
curing of patients in hospitals different groups
were developed

 Performa’s are developed for each group

 what they know about the HT and
 How it is beneficial to promote the recovery level
of the patients.
Sampling and Data Collection

 Questionnaires were developed to get information on

a structural format.

 200 patients, 100 visitors and 15 doctors.

 Questionnaire contained personal questions, opinion

question and question for their suggestions about the
improvement of the landscape of the hospital.

 The data were collected in the time of six months

Perception about horticulture therapy

 34% of the all respondents were very much

familiar with this natural art

 66% of the respondents did not have any

idea.
 Awareness of respondents about
"Horticultural Therapy"

60
51
50
Percentage

40

30 27 25.6

20

10

0
Patients Visitors Doctors
Groups
 Reason..
Lack of information
No exposure
Lack of education

 Government has to increase awareness and

impulse hospitals to work on it.
Opinion of patients to work with plants or to keep
Plants with them

 84 % of patients agreed to keep plants close

to them

 94% of them wanted to work with plants

 They like plants near them and they also feel

better, which impacts positively
Opinion about working with plants and keeping
them with patients Working with plants

Keeping plants with

patients

100 95 100 98
89 85
80 67
Percentage

60
40
20
0
Patients Visitors Doctors
Groups
 33% doctors were mostly concerned with healthy
indoor environment

 Visitors were mostly unaware

 Patients had positive experience, during their stay

there

 The contributions of urban green space to

community health and well-being can be
 improvements environmental quality,
 opportunity for healthy lifestyles
 opportunities to come in contact with nature (Takano et al,
2002).
Horticultural or Gardening Activities for Patients

 Overall 92% of the respondents with this idea

and emphasized on such activities

 Among doctors, 86.7% showed a great urge to

engage patients into such activities which will
enhance the recovery ultimately.

 Working with plants gives pleasure and sense

of satisfaction
Restorative value of plants and nature

 Most of respondents showed positive response

to the restorative value of plants and nature

 They added that plants and natural vegetation

have restorative value and effect the
psychological condition of patients

 Looking at plants reduces stress, anger and

fear in them
 Opinion about the restorative value of
plants and nature

90
90
80
80
72
70
Percentage

60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Patients Visitors Doctors
Groups
 Showed an urge of human and plants
relationship

 Also believe that plant man relationship posses

therapeutic benefits

 Important for curing of people e.g.,

 Mentally handicapped,
 Have special needs
 Sense of normalization
 relationship between people and Plant and
natural environment has impact on psychological
well being of people (William and Jones, 1990)

 Need to be practiced in hospitals

Psychological benefits of Horticulture Therapy

 Opinion about the psychological benefits, which

they observed or expect after viewing or working
with plants

 Patient quoted maximum about early curing and

relief in pain

 Doctor realized more in stress release, increased

confidence and early curing

 Visitors had social interaction and stress released

 Opinion about the Psychological benefits of
Horticulture Therapy
Patients Visitors Doctors

90
85
80

70
60
Percentage

50 46.8
45 43 43
41
40
34 32 34
30 26 26
21
20 16 15 15
10

0
Relief from Stress release Sense of Early curing Social
pain confidence interaction

Psychological benefits
 Flowers and plants are source of comfort
(Shoemaker, 1991)

 Viewing landscape is the external stimulus for

human thinking, feelings, well being and conflicts
(Paquette and Dommon, 2001)

 Popular assumption is that urban life is more

stressful and made
The impact of landscape design in enhancing
healing abilities of patient

 87% of respondents strongly agree with this,

 People appreciated, as it can contribute to

enhance well being

 9% improved recovery rate was found in terms

of treatment time, who viewed plants through
windows
 The impact of landscape in enhancing
healing abilities of patient

Doctors 93.3
Groups

Visitors 80

Patients 90

Percentage
 Plants posses healing quality
 Relaxation
 Satisfaction (Tereshkovich 1973; Roger,1983; Miller,
1997)

 Other benefits include;

 Reduction in diseases
 Mental relaxation
 Refreshment
 Lower blood pressure
 Relief in muscle’s tension (Gallup, 1991; Ulrich, 2003)
Windows
Windows
Horticultural as an “Effective Therapeutic Tool”

 74% of the respondents, strongly agreed to

use this method as therapeutic tool

 They wished to be practiced this technique in

hospitals

 Plants and nature

 Horticultural as an “Effective Therapeutic
Tool”

90
100 73.3
60
80
Percentage

60
40
20
0
Patients Visitors Doctors
Groups
 Awareness globally

 Important for curing

 Feeling of renew to append in nature, in

the sense greenery can review any
rehabilitate
The plantation status at Khadija Mahmood Trust
Hospital

 38% of the respondents were satisfied with

present status plantation

 62% of all emphasized greatly to increase

the amount of plantation and better
maintenance of already present vegetation
 The plantation status at Khadija
Mahmood Trust Hospital

45 45
45
40
35
Percentage

30 26.7
25
20
15
10
5
0
Patients Visitors Doctors
Groups
Suggestion for the improvement of plantation
at hospital
 Proper maintenance of existing landscape

 New plantation at appropriate places

 Wished to see colorful flowers

 Emphasized on shady trees

 Need proper sitting places particularly for visitors

 Liking for water features (Water fall and fountain) was there
 Sugge stions to improve landscape at hospital

100
90
80
70
Percentage

60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Flowers Shady Grass Water Sitting
trees Lawn features places

Landscape features
No shady trees
No Flowers
No proper sitting place
Practicing Horticultural Therapy in hospital

 86.7% believed that Horticultural Therapy

should be practiced in hospital under
study as well as all hospitals
