Designing Effective Therapeutic Environments for Isolation Rooms of Thyroid Cancer Patients using biophilic design principles and Internet of Things (IoT) Technology

Thyroid cancer is one of the most widespread types of cancer, with a significant impact on patients’ lives from biological, psychological, and social perspectives. Treatment commonly involves the use of radioactive iodine (RAI), an effective therapy that is accompanied by numerous physical and psychological challenges. Patients often suffer from side effects such as fatigue and pain, in addition to social isolation due to radiation safety precautions.

Therefore, there is a pressing need to design a healthy healing environment inspired by biophilic design principles, with a special focus on the psychological state of the patient—particularly the anxiety experienced during this stage. Such an environment should take into consideration functional, psychological, and environmental standards, while employing Internet of Things (IoT) technology to achieve integration and comfort for the patient during the isolation period.



Research Problem:

The main problem lies in the negative psychological impact of isolation on patients in radioactive iodine (RAI) isolation rooms, as well as the challenges of providing comprehensive healthcare in such isolated environments.



Research Objectives:

To create a suitable biophilic healing environment that addresses the psychological well-being of the patient during the isolation period.



To achieve comprehensive healthcare during isolation through remote monitoring of the patient’s health status and biological data using Internet of Things (IoT) technologies.



Research Significance:

To support thyroid cancer patients by providing a healing environment that considers all their psychological and physical needs during radiation therapy in isolation rooms.



To highlight the critical role of the interior designer in developing therapeutic environments that integrate biophilic design and smart technologies to ensure the highest level of patient care.



Research Hypotheses:

The use of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies helps provide accurate monitoring of vital data and enhances health condition follow-up.



The interior designer plays a fundamental role in improving isolation room environments by integrating biophilic design and modern technologies, creating a positive interaction between humans and space.



Integrating natural elements into interior design helps reduce feelings of isolation and anxiety among patients, thereby supporting their psychological and physical recovery.



Research Methodology:

This research adopts the inductive approach in collecting information and data, followed by the descriptive-analytical approach to study and evaluate existing models and propose an integrated design solution.



Keywords:

Radioactive iodine isolation rooms – Biophilic design – Internet of Things (IoT)