RESEARCH
Therapeutic Hospital Gardens: Literature Review and Working Definition
Summary
This research paper looks at what we know about therapeutic hospital gardens (THGs), which are gardens designed and included within hospital grounds or buildings to help patients, their families, and hospital staff. The authors reviewed a large number of studies to understand how these gardens are defined, who uses them and what their needs are, and what benefits and value they provide. They wanted to get a clear picture of this topic to help hospitals and designers create better gardens that truly promote health and well-being.
Through their review of existing research, the authors found that there isn’t yet a clear and agreed-upon way to define exactly what a therapeutic hospital garden is. They also discovered a need for well-defined steps on how to design and create these gardens effectively. To help move forward, the researchers developed their own working definition of THGs based on what they learned. The paper concludes that when hospitals purposefully design and integrate these gardens into their programs and health policies, they can play a role in improving people’s well-being.
