Findings, methods and sources
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.
Methods and verification
Verification level: Abstract checked
Structured summary
- Population
- Adult inpatients with cancer diagnoses at the Penn State Cancer Institute, Hershey, admitted for treatment requiring at least a three-day stay
- Sample
- 186 enrolled, 2014–2016; three randomised groups
- Intervention
- A painting by a local artist in the patient’s line of vision, either chosen by the patient or randomly selected
- Comparator
- No painting
- Outcome measures
- Anxiety, mood, depression, sense of control; self-reported pain, quality of life and length of stay; perceptions of the hospital environment
- Timing
- Anxiety and control at baseline and before discharge; emotional state every 1–2 days; perceptions of the room once, before discharge
- Result
- No differences in psychological or clinical outcomes; both painting groups reported significantly better perceptions of the hospital environment
- Uncertainty
- Effect sizes and confidence intervals are not given in the abstract; the authors note that other room décor could not be fully controlled
- Design
- Randomised controlled trial
- Sample / scope
- 186 inpatients
- Setting
- Inpatient room
- Art form
- Pictures
Citation (authors, title, journal, volume, pages, DOI) and result checked against PubMed and the author-institution record, 29 September 2026 · Verification source
Last full editorial audit: 2026-09-09 · Verification policy
Publications and overlap
No confirmed shared-publication match is recorded for this entry in Edition 4.11. Source-by-source and participant-level reconciliation is incomplete; this does not establish an independent study.