Comparison of art preferences in patient rooms between chronic pain patients, palliative care patients and physicians

TL;DR

This study shows that chronic pain and palliative care patients prefer figurative art in their rooms more than physicians do.

Contribution

It reveals a significant difference between patient and physician preferences for art in healthcare settings.

Findings

Palliative care patients preferred figurative art more than physicians (65% vs. 42%).

Chronic pain patients also favored figurative art over physicians' choices (67% vs. 42%).

Physicians preferred natural elements in art for themselves and their patients.

Abstract

Art in patient rooms can have positive effects on wellbeing and clinical outcomes. Patients’ art preferences may differ from the preferences of medical providers. In this study, chronic pain and palliative care patients’ preferences regarding art in patient rooms were compared with physicians’ preferences.

From a selection of abstract art photographs by artists of the Muthesius University of Fine Arts and Design, Kiel, and figurative paintings from the Kunsthalle zu Kiel, 79 physicians and 79 chronic pain patients were asked to choose a picture. The physicians were also asked which picture they would choose for their patients. Furthermore, 79 palliative care patients were investigated to compare their choices with those of pain patients and physicians.

Both patient groups preferred figurative art more often than did physicians for their patients. Among palliative care patients, 65% chose figurative art, while only 42% of physicians did (p < 0.0001). Similarly, 67% of chronic pain patients preferred figurative art, in contrast to 42% of physicians (p = 0.0002). The incidence of physicians’ art choices for figurative art in patient rooms and for themselves as patients differed significantly (42 vs. 58, p = 0.013). Views with natural elements were preferred by physicians for patients and themselves (49 vs. 30 and 44 vs. 35), by palliative care patients (41 vs. 38), and by chronic pain patients (54 vs. 25).

Patients’ art preferences differ significantly from physicians’ art preferences.

The online version of this article (10.1007/s10354-025-01086-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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