The Outdoor Care Retreat: Key Insights for Navigating Biophilic Design Innovation in Healthcare Environments

Aim: The present case study explores insights related to navigating biophilic design innovation in public healthcare using the Outdoor Care Retreat at Oslo University Hospital and the Hospital of Southern Norway as a case. Background: Available research from environmental psychology proposes an association between access to biophilic design, well-being, health, and hospitalization satisfaction. Still, integrating this research into public healthcare is challenging and there is a need for research that builds on innovative examples of biophilic design integration in this context. Methods: Study findings are based on eight individual interviews with people involved in project initiation and development of the Outdoor Care Retreat, in addition to online public records and other digital documents related to the case study. The qualitative materials were analyzed according to reflexive thematic analysis and categorized into themes. Results: Findings illustrate how moving beyond conventional healthcare practices can support the implementation of biophilic design. Specifically, the findings suggest that biophilic design in healthcare benefits from an appealing story, individual contributions, and an organizational and environmental context that challenges common conventions. Drawing from research from public healthcare innovation and biophilic design, the study outlines key insights for implementation. Conclusions: This study contributes to bridging the gap between theory and practice in a public healthcare context. It offers key insights for implementing biophilic design in healthcare environments, with the potential to ensure valuable improvements in the hospitalization experience for patients and their families in future developments of public healthcare facilities.