Presentation Italy

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.

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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

Percentage

50 40 30

27

25.6

20 10 0 Patients

Visitors Groups

Doctors

 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 Working with plants them with patients Keeping plants with patients

100

95 100

89 85

Percentage

80

98 67

60 40 20 0 Patients

Visitors Groups

Doctors

 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

Percentage

80

72

70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Patients

Visitors Groups

Doctors

 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

90

Doctors 85

80

Percentage

70 60 50

46.8 43 41

45

40

34 32

30 20

43 34 26

26

16 15

21 15

10 0 Relief from pain

Stress release

Sense of confidence

Early curing

Psychological benefits

Social interaction

 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 93.3

Groups

Doctors

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 73.3

Percentage

100 60

80 60 40 20 0

Patients

Visitors Groups

Doctors

 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

Percentage

45

45

45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

26.7

Patients

Visitors Groups

Doctors

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

Percentage

Sugge stions to improve landscape at hospital

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

Flowers

Shady trees

Grass Lawn

Water features

Landscape features

Sitting places

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 