Creating a hospitable hospital: How colors, music, and scent in the servicescape reduce rumination and enhance the patient waiting experience

Abstract

Reinforcing hospitality is a critical challenge for the healthcare industry, as creating a more hospitable environment can significantly enhance patients' experience, well-being, and recovery. During waiting periods, patients often engage in rumination — negative and repetitive thinking about their health condition — which diminishes their healthcare experience. Through five experiments, including one field study, we demonstrate that strategic servicescape design can effectively reduce rumination and improve patient outcomes. Specifically, a colorful visual environment decreases rumination by enhancing positive emotions, while the combination of music and scent, known to activate memory processes, reduces rumination, thereby improving perceived service quality and hospitality. Healthcare managers should use colors, music, and scent to design more hospitable environments and enhance patient experience. This research extends the servicescape literature by revealing how specific environmental elements can interrupt negative thought patterns with or without change in emotional states and enhance service experiences in healthcare settings.