Art For the Health of It

The use of the arts in healthcare has been around for many decades, however only during the past 20 years has there been research based evidence to support the fact that the arts do enhance health.

Many medical schools now require their students to take a short course in arts and humanities. This is just another example of art & science working together to benefit patients.

Visual art is certainly not the only form of art known to help heal but it can be one of the easiest to introduce into the healthcare setting. Simply looking at an appropriate image on an otherwise sterile wall can help reduce the use of pain medication, increase compliance with treatments, and shorten the length of stay in hospitals.

When art is introduced appropriately into the healthcare environment, patient/ caregiver stress can be measurably reduced, quality of care can increase and the costs of treatment can go down.

Art can truly help to improve people’s health, so, get yourself some Art For the Health of It.