The Patient Room: what is the ideal solution? - Cornell University

Single Patient Room and Communication
• The privacy that a single patient room provides, enables patients to communicate more freely with physicians
and nurses about history and current state because there are no other patients or staff present
• According to Press Ganey’s national data in 2003, patients were 4.5% more satisfied with their privacy in a
single room than in a double room
• Staff feel it is more appropriate for maintaining the confidentiality of patient exams
• Single patient rooms facilitate the communication that takes place between patients, family members and
hospital staff, which is vital to patient satisfaction with care and family involvement in care
• In a study done by Kaldenburg in 1999, results showed that spaces that are private and peaceful improved
communication within the room, and staff is more reluctant to share patient information with the patient when
another patient is in the room.
(Ulrich, 2008).
“According to the data obtained
from 2,359,935 patients nationally
in 2006, the five top-priority issues
that patients identified as affecting
satisfaction are associated with
communication and empathy,
including (1) response to
concerns/complaints made
during the hospital stay… (5) how
well the nurses kept you informed”
(Ulrich, 2008).
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