The Value of Integrating Visual Arts: Evaluating the Benefits of Hospital Room Artwork on Inpatient Wellbeing

The Value of Integrating Visual Arts (VIVA): Evaluating the Benefits of Hospital Room Artwork on Inpatient Wellbeing will use a large randomized controlled trial design to investigate how the inclusion of visual arts in the hospital rooms of cancer patients benefits their quality-of-life during treatment. This 18-month research study will provide hospitals with evidence of the therapeutic value of the visual arts as measured by patients\' perceptions of anxiety, pain ratings, use of pain medications, need for nurses, and length of stay. Data also will be collected on patients\' evaluation of hospital rooms, specifically on décor including artwork, so as to correlate patient wellbeing with the presence of artwork. Ultimately, this project aims to increase support of and appreciation for the arts from a major consumer-namely, healthcare providers-by justifying the value of integrating local visual art into inpatient rooms and providing patients with aesthetic choice during their stay.