Records include studies, reviews, research gaps and policy. Some discuss the same underlying research; do not add their sample sizes together.
PAH-001 · 1984 · United StatesNature views and postoperative recovery
Adjacent evidenceObservational / experimentalReported benefit
Finding. A retrospective comparison of 23 matched patient pairs associated a tree view with shorter recovery and less strong analgesic use.
Limitation. Nature exposure; a small observational study, not an artwork intervention.
Ulrich RS. View through a window may influence recovery from surgery. Science. 1984;224(4647):420–421.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Retrospective matched-pair records review
- Sample / scope
- 46 patients (23 matched pairs)
- Setting
- Inpatient room
- Art form
- Window view (nature)
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Nature and abstract images after cardiac surgery
Healthcare artConference abstractReported benefit
Finding. A frequently cited 1993 conference abstract reported differences in anxiety and analgesic use between image conditions.
Limitation. Full trial reporting was not located. This abstract cannot establish a general rule against abstract art.
Ulrich RS, Lundén O, Eltinge JL. Effects of exposure to nature and abstract pictures on patients recovering from heart surgery. Paper, 33rd meeting of the Society for Psychophysiological Research, Rottach-Egern. Abstract in Psychophysiology. 1993;30(Suppl 1):7.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Randomised allocation, intensive care unit (Sweden)
- Sample / scope
- Not reported in the published abstract
- Setting
- Intensive care
- Art form
- Pictures
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
A surgical arts review mainly concerned music
Policy & contextReviewContext / synthesis
Finding. A 2015 review included 48 studies, of which 47 concerned music and one sunlight.
Limitation. Useful for identifying the scope of the literature; it supplies no pooled estimate for installed visual art.
Vetter D, Barth J, Uyulmaz S, et al. Effects of art on surgical patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Surg. 2015;262(5):704–713.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Systematic review and meta-analysis (PRISMA)
- Sample / scope
- 1,101 records screened; 48 studies included
- Setting
- Perioperative
- Art form
- Review
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Art viewing in healthcare: the 2025 scoping review
Healthcare artReviewContext / synthesis
Finding. The review mapped 68 publications: 35 peer-reviewed and 33 grey-literature items. It describes promising patient-experience findings alongside mixed and null results.
Limitation. No formal critical appraisal or pooled effect estimate. The 2026 correction reports 534 visitors, not 32, within 6,006 participants.
Foster MW, Sanhueza C, Bahr E, et al. The effects of viewing visual artwork on patients, staff, and visitors in healthcare settings: a scoping review. PLoS One. 2025;20(8):e0328215. Correction: PLoS One. 2026;21(4):e0347506.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Scoping review (JBI / PRISMA-ScR), no critical appraisal
- Sample / scope
- 68 publications; 6,006 participants (3,133 patients, 1,343 staff, 534 visitors, 996 other/unspecified)
- Setting
- Corridors, entrances, waiting areas, inpatient rooms
- Art form
- Review
Review and formal correction checked, 9 September 2026 · Verification source
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Staff and visitors remain less studied than patients
Healthcare artResearch gapContext / synthesis
Finding. The 2025 scoping review found substantially more patient research than research on staff or visitors.
Limitation. A description of research coverage, not evidence that staff benefit less. Visitors, rather than staff, form the smallest named participant group.
Foster MW, Sanhueza C, Bahr E, et al. PLoS One. 2025;20(8):e0328215.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Evidence about the literature, drawn from a scoping review
- Sample / scope
- Peer-reviewed subset: 2,689 patient participants against 1,003 staff
- Setting
- All
- Art form
- Review
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Null and negative findings need equal visibility
Healthcare artResearch gapMixed / null
Finding. The healthcare review includes reports of no detectable benefit and some less favourable responses to visual-art interventions.
Limitation. Lack of reported adverse clinical events does not establish universal safety. Proposed explanations such as siting and consultation remain hypotheses.
Foster MW, Sanhueza C, Bahr E, et al. PLoS One. 2025;20(8):e0328215.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Null and negative findings reported within a scoping review
- Sample / scope
- Nine articles reporting null findings; six reporting some negative effect
- Setting
- Various
- Art form
- Review
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
The gap in evidence specific to hospital sculpture
Healthcare artResearch gapContext / synthesis
Finding. The reviewed literature does not establish a causal health effect for permanent hospital sculpture isolated from its surroundings.
Limitation. This is a bounded conclusion about the material reviewed, not a claim that no sculpture research exists anywhere. See PAH-050 and PAH-055.
Foster MW, Sanhueza C, Bahr E, et al. PLoS One. 2025;20(8):e0328215.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Absence identified across the located review literature
- Sample / scope
- Not applicable
- Setting
- All
- Art form
- Sculpture
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Healthcare design provides context for art research
Policy & contextReviewContext / synthesis
Finding. Research on hospital design examines lighting, acoustics, ventilation and room configuration, among other variables.
Limitation. Effects of these building features cannot be assigned to an artwork within the building.
Ulrich RS, Zimring C, Zhu X, et al. A review of the research literature on evidence-based healthcare design. HERD. 2008;1(3):61–125.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Structured literature review, screened for relevance and quality
- Sample / scope
- Extends a 2004 review; several hundred studies screened
- Setting
- Whole facility
- Art form
- Review
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
The WHO arts-and-health review has a broader scope
Policy & contextReviewContext / synthesis
Finding. The 2019 WHO review covers receptive and participatory activities across prevention, health promotion and treatment.
Limitation. Its overall findings cannot be presented as evidence for murals or sculpture alone. Art-making and arts therapies are outside this site's core scope.
Fancourt D, Finn S. What is the evidence on the role of the arts in improving health and well-being? A scoping review. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe; 2019. Health Evidence Network synthesis report 67.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Scoping review commissioned by WHO Regional Office for Europe
- Sample / scope
- Over 900 publications and 200 reviews, covering more than 3,000 studies
- Setting
- All
- Art form
- Review
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Hospital gardens and outdoor space
Adjacent evidenceReviewContext / synthesis
Finding. A review of acute-care green spaces describes associations with restorative experience and lower reported stress.
Limitation. Gardens combine planting, outdoor access and other design features; the contribution of sculpture is not isolated.
Brambilla A, Del Pio M, Ravegnani Morosini R, Capolongo S. Green space in hospital built environment: a literature review about therapeutic gardens in acute care healthcare settings before Covid-19. Acta Biomed. 2023;94(S3):e2023137.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Literature review across Scopus, PubMed and Cochrane
- Sample / scope
- 25 documents reviewed (2000–2020)
- Setting
- Hospital grounds and courtyards
- Art form
- Outdoor / green space
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Creative health in UK policy
Policy & contextPolicy / contextContext / synthesis
Finding. The Creative Health inquiry and subsequent review document policy interest and recommendations for arts and health.
Limitation. Policy endorsement is context, not an evaluation of the health effects of installed art.
All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing. Creative Health: The Arts for Health and Wellbeing. London; 2017. National Centre for Creative Health and APPG AHW. Creative Health Review: How Policy Can Embrace Creative Health. London; December 2023.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Parliamentary inquiry and policy review
- Sample / scope
- Two-year inquiry; 16 roundtables
- Setting
- National policy
- Art form
- Policy
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Long-running hospital art programmes
PracticeProgramme / guidanceContext / synthesis
Finding. CW+ and Paintings in Hospitals document sustained collection-building and arts programming in healthcare.
Limitation. Institutional programme records demonstrate practice. Collection size and longevity do not establish health outcomes.
CW+ Arts in Health programme; Paintings in Hospitals.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Programme reporting
- Sample / scope
- See source for sample and design
- Setting
- Acute hospital trusts
- Art form
- Collections
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Percent-for-art as a funding route
Policy & contextPolicy / contextContext / synthesis
Finding. Some jurisdictions allocate part of eligible public-construction budgets to art; hospital projects may qualify.
Limitation. Rules vary. The available sources do not establish that this is the predominant funding mechanism for hospital art nationwide.
National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, state percent-for-art programs; New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Percent for Art.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Policy record
- Sample / scope
- See source for sample and design
- Setting
- Public capital projects
- Art form
- Policy
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
The Jameel Arts & Health Lab
Policy & contextPolicy / contextContext / synthesis
Finding. The Lab brings together arts-and-health research and institutional partnerships, including work on hospital art viewing.
Limitation. Research infrastructure and institutional context; no endorsement of this Observatory is implied.
Jameel Arts & Health Lab; Community Jameel.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Institutional record
- Sample / scope
- See source for sample and design
- Setting
- Global
- Art form
- Policy
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Visual art in hospitals: review and Scottish cases
Healthcare artReviewContext / synthesis
Finding. Lankston and colleagues describe generally favourable responses to hospital art alongside limitations in the available evidence.
Limitation. A narrative review and case discussion; it does not establish a uniform clinical effect.
Lankston L, Cusack P, Fremantle C, Isles C. Visual art in hospitals: case studies and review of the evidence. J R Soc Med. 2010;103(12):490-499.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Narrative review with three hospital case studies
- Sample / scope
- Three Scottish hospitals: Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, new Stobhill Hospital, new Victoria Infirmary
- Setting
- Whole hospital
- Art form
- Review
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Room artwork improved perceptions, with no detected clinical benefit
Healthcare artRandomised trialMixed / null
Finding. In a randomised trial of 186 cancer inpatients, paintings improved perceptions of the hospital environment. Psychological and clinical outcomes did not differ across groups.
Limitation. A single-site trial of room paintings. The null outcomes are central to the result, not evidence that the environmental benefit is unimportant.
George DR, Boer C, Hammer J, Hopkins M, King T, Green MJ. Evaluating the benefits of hospital room artwork for patients receiving cancer treatment: a randomized controlled trial. J Hosp Med. 2018;13(8):558-561.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Randomised controlled trial
- Sample / scope
- 186 inpatients
- Setting
- Inpatient room
- Art form
- Pictures
Result checked against author-institution abstract, 9 September 2026 · Verification source
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Possible pathways between leisure and health
MechanismsTheoryContext / synthesis
Finding. A theoretical framework maps biological, psychological, social and behavioural pathways linking leisure activities and health.
Limitation. Proposed mechanisms across broad activities; not proof of a mechanism or outcome for permanent sculpture.
Fancourt D, Aughterson H, Finn S, Walker E, Steptoe A. How leisure activities affect health: a narrative review and multi-level theoretical framework of mechanisms of action. Lancet Psychiatry. 2021;8(4):329-339.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Narrative review and theoretical framework
- Sample / scope
- See source for sample and design
- Setting
- All
- Art form
- Review
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Describing the components of an arts intervention
MechanismsTheoryContext / synthesis
Finding. The INNATE framework identifies components of arts-and-health activities to improve description and comparison.
Limitation. Developed around broader arts participation. Adapting it to installed art would require explicit methodological work.
Warran K, Burton A, Fancourt D. What are the active ingredients of 'arts in health' activities? Development of the INgredients iN ArTs in hEalth (INNATE) Framework. Wellcome Open Res. 2022;7:10.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Framework development from qualitative and consultative work
- Sample / scope
- See source for sample and design
- Setting
- All
- Art form
- Review
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Arts and health in public policy
Policy & contextReviewContext / synthesis
Finding. A review of policy documents examines opportunities for collaboration between arts and health agencies.
Limitation. A policy analysis, not a study of patients or a test of installed art.
Dow R, Warran K, Letrondo P, Fancourt D. The arts in public health policy: progress and opportunities. Lancet Public Health. 2023;8(2):e155-e160.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Scoping review of policy documents
- Sample / scope
- See source for sample and design
- Setting
- National policy
- Art form
- Review
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Art viewing and stress: promising, uneven evidence
Adjacent evidenceReviewContext / synthesis
Finding. Law and colleagues reviewed 14 studies of art viewing and stress, finding promising results across heterogeneous methods and settings.
Limitation. Only four studies were randomised trials. Findings from museums and laboratories require care when applied to hospitals.
Law M, Karulkar N, Broadbent E. Evidence for the effects of viewing visual artworks on stress outcomes: a scoping review. BMJ Open. 2021;11(6):e043549.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Scoping review
- Sample / scope
- Studies of art viewing and stress outcomes across settings
- Setting
- Multiple
- Art form
- Review
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Visual arts in children's hospitals
Healthcare artReviewContext / synthesis
Finding. A dedicated scoping review examines how visual art contributes to children's and families' experiences of hospital environments.
Limitation. Different art forms, settings and study designs are combined; individual installations need their own evaluation.
Ullán AM, Belver MH. Visual arts in children's hospitals: scoping review. HERD. 2021;14(4):339-367.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Scoping review
- Sample / scope
- Studies of visual arts in children's hospital settings
- Setting
- Paediatric hospital
- Art form
- Review
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Nature-themed window murals in paediatric rooms
Healthcare artRandomised trialReported benefit
Finding. A study of 90 paediatric patients compared aquatic murals, tree murals and rooms without murals, reporting differences in physiological measures.
Limitation. Small, single-site study. Its results do not establish that every mural or subject will reduce heart rate or blood pressure.
Pearson M, Gaines K, Pati D, Colwell M, Motheral L, Adams NG. The physiological impact of window murals on pediatric patients. HERD. 2019;12(2):116-129.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Patients randomly assigned to one of three room conditions; physiological measurement
- Sample / scope
- 90 paediatric patients; see paper for allocation and analysed sample
- Setting
- Paediatric inpatient
- Art form
- Murals
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Patient responses to the Cleveland Clinic collection
Healthcare artObservational / experimentalReported benefit
Finding. A collection-level survey examined patient-reported mood, stress, comfort and perceptions of care.
Limitation. A self-selected institutional survey with no control condition; do not treat invitation counts as respondent counts or apply results to one sculpture.
Karnik M, Printz B, Finkel J. A hospital's contemporary art collection: effects on patient mood, stress, comfort, and expectations. HERD. 2014;7(3):60-77. Related: Finkel J, Printz B, Gallagher LM, et al. HERD. 2021.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Survey study within an institutional art collection
- Sample / scope
- See source for sample and design
- Setting
- Inpatient and public areas
- Art form
- Collections
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Art within mental-health environments
Adjacent evidenceReviewContext / synthesis
Finding. A systematic review considered art alongside broader design and environmental factors in mental-health settings.
Limitation. The review combines different environmental interventions and predates much current practice.
Daykin N, Byrne E, Soteriou T, O'Connor S. The impact of art, design and environment in mental healthcare: a systematic review of the literature. J R Soc Promot Health. 2008;128(2):85-94.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Systematic review
- Sample / scope
- Studies of art, design and environment in mental healthcare
- Setting
- Mental health facilities
- Art form
- Review
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Accessible art is a research priority
Healthcare artResearch gapContext / synthesis
Finding. The healthcare scoping review found a gap in evaluated receptive-art experiences for people with visual impairment. A separate perspectives paper addresses accessibility.
Limitation. Absence of outcome studies in a review is not absence of accessible practice. Touch-based access requires a suitable work and setting.
Foster MW, Sanhueza C, Bahr E, et al. PLoS One. 2025;20(8):e0328215. Context: Palityka D, Chrysikou E, Murtagh N. Accessible art in healthcare facilities: exploring perspectives of healthcare art for visually impaired people. Front Med Technol. 2023;5:1205361.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Absence identified within a scoping review that permitted such studies
- Sample / scope
- Not applicable
- Setting
- All
- Art form
- Review
Editorially reviewed; original source retained · Verification source
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Practical guidance for commissioning and care
PracticeProgramme / guidanceContext / synthesis
Finding. Professional resources address artist selection, commissioning and the long-term care of art in healthcare.
Limitation. Practice guidance is distinct from clinical evidence; technical and procurement advice must fit the project and jurisdiction.
Public Art Online / ixia: Guidelines for Commissioning and Selecting Artists and Craftspeople; When the Architects Leave: Maintaining artwork in the hospital environment. Arts + Health Ireland: The Arts Health Handbook.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Professional guidance
- Sample / scope
- Not applicable
- Setting
- Capital projects
- Art form
- Guidance
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Evidence-informed art-selection guidance
PracticeProgramme / guidanceContext / synthesis
Finding. The Center for Health Design provides guidance translating research into art-selection decisions.
Limitation. Guidance inherits the limits of its underlying studies. It is not a new trial or an independent effect estimate.
Nanda U, Hathorn K. A Guide to Evidence-Based Art. Concord, CA: The Center for Health Design; 2008. Related: Nanda U, Eisen S, Baladandayuthapani V. Undertaking an art survey to compare patient versus student art preferences. Environ Behav. 2008;40(2):269-301.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Professional guidance derived from research
- Sample / scope
- Not applicable
- Setting
- Whole facility
- Art form
- Guidance
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Patients describe how they experience hospital art
Healthcare artObservational / experimentalReported benefit
Finding. Qualitative research describes art as a source of interest, relief and a more welcoming hospital environment.
Limitation. Patient accounts help explain experience; they do not establish a causal clinical benefit.
Nielsen SL, Fich LB, Roessler KK, Mullins MF. How do patients actually experience and use art in hospitals? A user-oriented experimental case study. Int J Qual Stud Health Well-being. 2017;12(1):1267343.
Methods and verification
- Design
- User-oriented experimental qualitative case study
- Sample / scope
- Hospital patients
- Setting
- Inpatient and public areas
- Art form
- Collections
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
UCL arts-and-health research infrastructure
Policy & contextPolicy / contextContext / synthesis
Finding. UCL's Social Biobehavioural Research Group documents a programme of research on arts engagement and population health.
Limitation. Institutional context. The group's work is wider than permanent visual art; its inclusion does not imply a partnership.
University College London news, March 2026; UCL Social Biobehavioural Research Group. Related: Fancourt D. Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Transform Our Health.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Institutional record
- Sample / scope
- See source for sample and design
- Setting
- Global
- Art form
- Policy
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Hospital murals across four countries: a 2026 preprint
Healthcare artPreprintMixed / null
Finding. HoME collected 525 responses through surveys, interviews and participatory photography. Surveys reported favourable patient associations and favourable staff associations in the UK and USA, with null staff findings in Nigeria and Slovenia.
Limitation. The source is a preprint. Correlations cannot show that murals caused improved wellbeing or that consultation explains differences between sites.
Sajnani N, Foster MW, Oshodi Y, et al. The Hospital Murals Evaluation: a mixed-methods evaluation of the impact of murals on patients, healthcare workers, and visitors. medRxiv. 2026. doi:10.64898/2026.04.09.26350479
Methods and verification
- Design
- Mixed-methods cross-sectional evaluation, four countries (preprint)
- Sample / scope
- 525 responses: 229 patients, 245 staff, 49 visitors, 2 undisclosed
- Setting
- Hospital public areas
- Art form
- Murals
Preprint abstract and response breakdown checked, 9 September 2026
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Community murals at NYC Health + Hospitals
PracticeProgramme / guidanceContext / synthesis
Finding. The programme documents murals developed with artists, patients, staff and communities.
Limitation. The creation process involves active participation. Subsequent viewing of the installed mural is receptive exposure; these are different interventions.
NYC Health + Hospitals Arts in Medicine, Community Mural Project; Luftglass R, Rothschild J. Healing Walls: New York City Health + Hospitals Community Mural Project 2019–2021. Laurie M Tisch Illumination Fund; 2022.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Programme record
- Sample / scope
- See source for sample and design
- Setting
- Public areas across a municipal health system
- Art form
- Murals
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Cleveland Clinic's reported collection surveys
Healthcare artObservational / experimentalReported benefit
Finding. The institution reports patient-perceived benefits from its collection; the published 2014 study is also catalogued at PAH-024.
Limitation. These records overlap. Self-reported perceptions are valuable but do not demonstrate reduced clinical pain or effects of a particular work.
Karnik M, Printz B, Finkel J. A hospital's contemporary art collection: effects on patient mood, stress, comfort, and expectations. HERD. 2014;7(3):60-77. Cleveland Clinic, Our Art Collection (2024 survey).
Methods and verification
- Design
- Institutional survey, self-report
- Sample / scope
- See source for sample and design
- Setting
- Whole campus
- Art form
- Collections
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Historic hospital murals in New York
PracticeProgramme / guidanceContext / synthesis
Finding. New Deal-era hospital murals document an established civic tradition of art within healthcare.
Limitation. Historical intentions and clinicians' impressions are not controlled outcome evidence.
Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College, Healing Walls: Health and Art in New Deal New York.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Historical record
- Sample / scope
- See source for sample and design
- Setting
- Public hospitals
- Art form
- Murals
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Nature imagery, visual art and neuroaesthetics
Healthcare artReviewContext / synthesis
Finding. A 2025 review brings healthcare-design studies into dialogue with neuroaesthetics.
Limitation. Different evidence types are discussed together. Proposed neural explanations should not be presented as measured clinical effects.
Benefits of Nature Imagery and Visual Art in Healthcare Contexts. Buildings. 2025;15:1027.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Review
- Sample / scope
- See source for sample and design
- Setting
- Healthcare contexts
- Art form
- Review
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Nature imagery and as-needed medication on one psychiatric unit
Healthcare artObservational / experimentalReported benefit
Finding. A changing-image study associated a realistic nature photograph with fewer as-needed medication events than comparison conditions.
Limitation. One unit, short periods and no patient-level randomisation. The financial figures were local projections, not a general return on investment.
Nanda U, Eisen S, Zadeh RS, Owen D. Effect of visual art on patient anxiety and agitation in a mental health facility and implications for the business case. J Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs. 2011;18(5):386–393.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Within-unit comparison across rotating art conditions, with nurse interviews
- Sample / scope
- One acute psychiatric unit; 21-day no-art control period; 22 nursing staff interviewed
- Setting
- Inpatient psychiatric unit
- Art form
- Pictures
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Nature art in two emergency waiting rooms
Healthcare artObservational / experimentalReported benefit
Finding. Before-and-after observations reported reductions in several restless behaviours after still and video nature art were introduced.
Limitation. No concurrent control site. A combined visual intervention and observed behaviour, rather than a direct clinical outcome.
Nanda U, Chanaud C, Nelson M, Zhu X, Bajema R, Jansen BH. Impact of visual art on patient behavior in the emergency department waiting room. J Emerg Med. 2012;43(1):172–181.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Pre–post systematic behavioural observation at two hospitals
- Sample / scope
- Thirty hours of observation before and after installation at each site
- Setting
- Emergency department waiting room
- Art form
- Pictures
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Hospital gallery visits after cancer surgery
Adjacent evidenceRandomised trialMixed / null
Finding. A randomised study of 80 patients reported benefits for hope, anxiety and mental wellbeing after gallery visits; pain did not significantly differ.
Limitation. Receptive art viewing, but visits also involve movement, attention and a change of setting. This is not an isolated sculpture study.
Lone Z, Hussein AA, Khan H, et al. Art Heals: randomized controlled study investigating the effect of a dedicated in-house art gallery on the recovery of patients after major oncologic surgery. Ann Surg. 2021;274(2):264–270.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Randomised controlled trial, single centre
- Sample / scope
- 80 patients
- Setting
- Post-surgical inpatient care
- Art form
- Collections
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Guided bedside art observation
Adjacent evidenceRandomised trialReported benefit
Finding. A randomised pilot of 73 haematology inpatients found lower state anxiety for guided art observation than for usual care.
Limitation. The discussion and personal attention are part of the intervention. Screen-based guided viewing does not isolate ambient art exposure.
Gore E, Daiss SD-P, Liesveld JL, Mooney CJ. The therapeutic potential of bedside art observation in hematologic cancer inpatients: a randomized controlled pilot study. Support Care Cancer. 2022;30(4):3585–3592.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Randomised controlled pilot, three arms
- Sample / scope
- 73 inpatients
- Setting
- Inpatient haematology unit
- Art form
- Pictures (screen)
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
A nature mural with sound during bronchoscopy
Adjacent evidenceRandomised trialMixed / null
Finding. A trial of 80 adults found better rated pain control with a nature mural plus nature sounds; anxiety did not significantly differ.
Limitation. A combined audiovisual intervention. The separate effect of the mural cannot be determined.
Diette GB, Lechtzin N, Haponik E, Devrotes A, Rubin HR. Distraction therapy with nature sights and sounds reduces pain during flexible bronchoscopy: a complementary approach to routine analgesia. Chest. 2003;123(3):941–948.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Randomised controlled trial
- Sample / scope
- 80 adults undergoing flexible bronchoscopy
- Setting
- Procedure room
- Art form
- Murals
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Nature exposure and self-reported pain
Adjacent evidenceReviewContext / synthesis
Finding. A meta-analysis pools studies of nature exposure and pain, including images, sound and real environments.
Limitation. Adjacent evidence about nature. Comparator choice and risk of bias affect interpretation; do not transfer the pooled estimate to sculpture.
Nature exposure reduces self-reported pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nat Ment Health. 2026. doi:10.1038/s44220-025-00569-2
Methods and verification
- Design
- Systematic review and meta-analysis
- Sample / scope
- See source for sample and design
- Setting
- Mixed clinical and laboratory
- Art form
- Review
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Art viewing and wellbeing: the 2025 systematic review
Adjacent evidenceReviewMixed / null
Finding. Across 38 papers and 6,805 participants, convergent evidence was found for eudemonic wellbeing—meaning, purpose and personal development. Other wellbeing outcomes lacked strong support.
Limitation. Settings and activities varied. The authors call for stronger methods and provide RAARR reporting guidance.
Trupp MD, Howlin C, Fekete A, Kutsche J, Fingerhut J, Pelowski M. The impact of viewing art on well-being—a systematic review of the evidence base and suggested mechanisms. J Posit Psychol. 2025. doi:10.1080/17439760.2025.2481041
Methods and verification
- Design
- Systematic review
- Sample / scope
- 38 papers; 6,805 participants
- Setting
- Galleries, hospitals, laboratories, online
- Art form
- Review
Conclusion checked against author-institution abstract, 9 September 2026 · Verification source
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Brief art viewing and blood pressure in a museum
Adjacent evidenceObservational / experimentalReported benefit
Finding. A small experiment compared responses to figurative art, modern art and an office setting, reporting a systolic blood-pressure reduction in the figurative condition.
Limitation. Healthy museum participants, not hospital patients. One experiment cannot determine a universal preference or clinical art-selection rule.
Mastandrea S, Maricchiolo F, Carrus G, Giovannelli I, Giuliani V, Berardi D. Visits to figurative art museums may lower blood pressure and stress. Arts Health. 2019;11(2):123–132.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Randomised allocation, pre–post physiological measurement
- Sample / scope
- See source for sample and design
- Setting
- Art museum (Rome)
- Art form
- Pictures
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Cortisol after a lunchtime gallery visit
Adjacent evidenceObservational / experimentalReported benefit
Finding. A small uncontrolled study reported lower cortisol and self-reported stress after a gallery visit.
Limitation. Time of day, the break from work and other factors were not controlled. The linked 2019 review is a secondary account of Clow and Fredhoi's 2006 study.
Clow A, Fredhoi C. Normalisation of salivary cortisol levels and self-report stress by a brief lunchtime visit to an art gallery by London City workers. Journal of Holistic Healthcare. 2006;3(2):29–32. Secondary account: Mastandrea et al. (2019).
Methods and verification
- Design
- Pre–post physiological study
- Sample / scope
- 28 healthy adults
- Setting
- Art gallery (London)
- Art form
- Collections
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Cultural attendance and mortality in older adults
Adjacent evidenceObservational / experimentalReported benefit
Finding. A longitudinal cohort associated more frequent cultural attendance with lower subsequent mortality after statistical adjustment.
Limitation. Attendance included theatre and concerts as well as museums and galleries. Observational findings cannot establish causality or a benefit from installed art.
Fancourt D, Steptoe A. The art of life and death: 14 year follow-up analyses of associations between arts engagement and mortality in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. BMJ. 2019;367:l6377.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Prospective cohort (English Longitudinal Study of Ageing)
- Sample / scope
- 6,710 adults aged 50 and over
- Setting
- Population, not healthcare
- Art form
- Review
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Cultural attendance and later depression
Adjacent evidenceObservational / experimentalReported benefit
Finding. An older-adult cohort associated more frequent cultural attendance with lower subsequent depression incidence.
Limitation. A broad, voluntary cultural activity. Residual confounding remains possible and permanent-art exposure was not isolated.
Fancourt D, Tymoszuk U. Cultural engagement and incident depression in older adults: evidence from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Br J Psychiatry. 2019;214(4):225–229.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Prospective cohort (English Longitudinal Study of Ageing)
- Sample / scope
- 2,148 adults aged 50 and over
- Setting
- Population, not healthcare
- Art form
- Review
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Population-health research on arts engagement
Policy & contextPolicy / contextContext / synthesis
Finding. A UCL report synthesises cohort findings on arts engagement and population health.
Limitation. Secondary synthesis; some underlying studies are already listed at PAH-045 and PAH-046. Do not double-count the report as independent evidence.
Fancourt D, Bone JK, Bu F, Mak HW, Bradbury A. The Impact of Arts and Cultural Engagement on Population Health: Findings from Major Cohort Studies in the UK and USA 2017–2022. London: UCL; 2023.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Research synthesis report
- Sample / scope
- Multiple national cohorts (ELSA, HRS and others)
- Setting
- Population, not healthcare
- Art form
- Review
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Greece's Arts on Prescription programme
Policy & contextPolicy / contextContext / synthesis
Finding. Programme and conference accounts describe a national referral-based arts initiative involving cultural institutions.
Limitation. Facilitated participation is outside core scope. Conference-reported treatment outcomes are not used here as evidence for permanent sculpture or murals.
Stefanis N. Presentation to the EU Culture and Health webinar "Scaling up Arts on Prescription Models", June 2026; Ministry of Culture / UMHRI programme documentation, artonprescription.gr.
Methods and verification
- Design
- National pilot with an embedded randomised controlled trial (results presented; peer-reviewed publication not yet located)
- Sample / scope
- See source for sample and design
- Setting
- Museums, theatres, concert halls and cultural institutions, Greece
- Art form
- Programme
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Art installations and greenery in urban streets
Adjacent evidenceObservational / experimentalReported benefit
Finding. A field study compares short-term responses to art and greenery in street installations, reporting favourable changes in wellbeing measures.
Limitation. Public-space evidence rather than healthcare evidence. Similar observed results do not establish statistical equivalence.
Mikuni J, Dehove M, Dörrzapf L, et al. Art in the city reduces the feeling of anxiety, stress, and negative mood: a field study examining the impact of artistic intervention in urban public space on well-being. Wellbeing Space Soc. 2024;7:100215.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Field experiment with within-subject measures, two Vienna streets
- Sample / scope
- See source for sample and design
- Setting
- Urban street, not healthcare
- Art form
- Public art
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Sculpture and perceived restorativeness of plazas
Adjacent evidenceObservational / experimentalReported benefit
Finding. In an experiment using manipulated plaza images, sculpture was associated with higher ratings of perceived restorativeness.
Limitation. Ratings of simulated spaces by a small sample, not measured recovery or health in a hospital. Relevant to siting hypotheses.
Abdulkarim D, Nasar JL. Are livable elements also restorative? J Environ Psychol. 2014;38:29–38.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Photo-simulation experiment, factorial design
- Sample / scope
- 60 participants rating three plazas
- Setting
- Urban plazas, not healthcare
- Art form
- Sculpture
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Public art and its landscape setting
Adjacent evidenceObservational / experimentalReported benefit
Finding. Image-rating experiments found that responses to public art differed between urban and natural settings.
Limitation. Scene preferences are not clinical outcomes. The findings support testing the artwork within its intended setting.
Motoyama Y, Hanyu K. Does public art enrich landscapes? The effect of public art on visual properties and affective appraisals of landscapes. J Environ Psychol. 2014;40:14–25.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Two rating experiments with manipulated landscape images
- Sample / scope
- University students (numbers not extracted)
- Setting
- Urban and natural landscapes, not healthcare
- Art form
- Public art
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Art, plants and choice in office environments
Adjacent evidenceObservational / experimentalReported benefit
Finding. Experiments comparing office conditions found benefits from enrichment and from participants' control over decoration.
Limitation. Art and plants were combined. Office tasks and worker choice differ from exposure to hospital sculpture.
Knight C, Haslam SA. The relative merits of lean, enriched, and empowered offices: an experimental examination of the impact of workspace management strategies on well-being and productivity. J Exp Psychol Appl. 2010;16(2):158–172.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Two experiments, one in a laboratory office and one in a commercial city office
- Sample / scope
- 112 and 47 participants
- Setting
- Workplace, not healthcare
- Art form
- Pictures
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
A street-level exhibition and neighbourhood connection
Adjacent evidenceObservational / experimentalReported benefit
Finding. A field study reports changes in neighbourhood connectedness and wellbeing after engagement with a public exhibition.
Limitation. Adjacent public-space evidence. The original record was based on the abstract; no hospital application was tested.
On the impact of public art: how engaging a pedestrian-level exhibition improves neighborhood connectedness and well-being. Wellbeing Space Soc. 2025.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Field study of a pedestrian-level exhibition
- Sample / scope
- Not extracted from the published abstract
- Setting
- Urban street, not healthcare
- Art form
- Public art
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Supportive design and positive distraction
MechanismsTheoryContext / synthesis
Finding. Ulrich's supportive-design framework proposes that control, social support and positive distraction can support coping in healthcare environments.
Limitation. A theoretical framework. Its relevance to commissioning does not prove that any particular artwork produces the proposed effect.
Ulrich RS. Effects of interior design on wellness: theory and recent scientific research. J Health Care Inter Des. 1991;3:97–109.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Theory paper
- Sample / scope
- Not applicable
- Setting
- Healthcare design
- Art form
- Review
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
A sculpture-specific paper with incomplete methods
Healthcare artInsufficient methodsContext / synthesis
Finding. A 2025 paper discusses sculpture in hospital design, but the accessible description does not establish a clear sample, comparison or measured effect.
Limitation. Not used to support health claims. The limitation is the available methodology, not whether the journal charges publication fees.
Tamilarasan SS, Rajesh R. Healing through art: analyzing the psychological effects of sculptures in hospital design. SEEJPH. 2025;XXVI(S1):3895–3901.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Qualitative, interviews and observation (as described in abstract)
- Sample / scope
- Not reported
- Setting
- Hospitals (unspecified)
- Art form
- Sculpture
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Roswell Park's permanent Art Heals Gallery
PracticeProgramme / guidanceContext / synthesis
Finding. The institution documents the permanent gallery associated with the trial at PAH-038.
Limitation. A practice record of the same project, not an additional independent trial. No claim that it is the only such example is made.
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. Art Heals Gallery installed at Roswell Park. Cancer Talk, January 2021.
Methods and verification
- Design
- Documented institutional practice
- Sample / scope
- Not applicable
- Setting
- Cancer centre
- Art form
- Collections
Editorially reviewed; original source retained
Editorial review: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
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