Environmental Evaluation of Three Different Waiting Rooms in a Mexican Hospital

This study identifies the influence of environmental conditions, temperature and noise (objective and self-reported), and waiting time, on patients' spatial perceptions of three hospital waiting rooms. The sample consisted of two hundred and fifty-three female patients. We used Ortega's Environmental Evaluation Scale. A multiple regression analysis indicated that the spatial perception of waiting rooms defined by characteristics such as big, pleasant, spacious, among others, is determined by the physical valuation which has to do with qualities such as warm, silent, relaxing and others and by exposure to environmental conditions such as comfortable temperature levels, low levels of noise and short waiting times.