According to a study presented at the Scientific Forum of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Clinical Congress 2022, certain hospital room features, such as having a window view and distance from a nursing station, have an influence on clinical outcomes after undergoing high-risk operations.

The study conducted by researchers from the University of Michigan revealed that the mortality rates for high-risk procedures varied across room design features and room types. In the study, 3,964 patients were enrolled who underwent 13 high-risk surgical procedures, namely colectomy, pancreatectomy, kidney transplant, etc., at the University of Michigan Hospital between 2016 and 2019.

The findings of the study showed that distance from a nursing station, single room occupancy, and direct line of sight from where clinicians could see into the room were the significant room features that influenced clinical outcomes after surgery. They also observed a 20% higher rate of mortality if the patients were admitted to a hospital room without a window in comparison to patients who were put in a room with a window. Similarly, they found that for patients staying in a room without a window, 30-day mortality rates were higher by 10%.

However, they also found that although the rate of mortality varied across room design, mortality rates did not vary by room type after accounting for the length of stay. As a result, the length of stay may not account for differences in mortality.  

(Source: https://theprint.in/health/clinical-outcomes-in-post-surgery-patients-linked-to-hospital-room-features-study/1170815/ )