Human Centric Lighting, a New Reality in Healthcare Environments

Abstract

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2017 was awarded jointly to Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael W. Young “for their discoveries of molecular mechanisms controlling the circadian rhythm”. Our body clocks control metabolism, contributing to the proper functioning of every organ in our bodies. The light/dark cycle is the main marker of our circadian rhythms. If we don’t use the right light at the right moment our body clocks become disoriented and stop functioning correctly. And this is what happens when we disrupt the circadian systems of patients in hospitals being in ICU or rooms by means of using the wrong light in a given moment. Many peer-reviewed researches in healthcare buildings, has demonstrated that access to daylight provides: reduction in the average length of hospital stay, quicker post-operative recovery and reducing ICU delirium, as well as reduced requirements for pain relief.