Five ways to add some warmth and personality to your exam rooms

Exam rooms don’t have to feel cold and boring. Here are five ideas for adding some personal touches that will make the space more inviting to patients and more comfortable for you and your staff.

1. Display snapshots of family and friends. Simple, inexpensively framed photos can help your patients get to know you and can create a friendly, relaxed atmosphere.

2. Hang artwork. Whether you use kids’ artwork, thrifted pieces, or professional paintings, this is a quick way to add color and personality to bare walls. You may even want to partner with local artists to display their work for free with the agreement that you’ll pass along their contact information if someone is interested in purchasing a piece.

3. Use paint. Painting one wall a contrasting color, or painting one section of a wall with chalkboard paint, is not very expensive and can make a big difference in the feel of a room. You could even commission a mural of a landscape, skyline, or something more playful.

4. Add some comfort. This could take the form of a comfortable side chair or just a jar of mints or candy for sharing.

5. Layer in texture. Balance all the cold, hard surfaces with, say, a wicker basket for storage, an old wooden crate for a side table, or curtains to soften the windows.

Got an idea to share? Comment below, or post a photo of your exam room decor on Twitter, tagging @fpmjournal or using the hashtag #examroomdecor.

Read the full FPM article: “Give your exam rooms a face-lift” (Practice Pearls).