Seen on Screen: Perceptions of Medical Media and Real-World Medical Waiting Rooms

Waiting rooms function as the emotional front door to healthcare, yet their design can be overlooked in patient-centered care. This mixed-methods study examined emotional responses to medical waiting environments among African American/Black, Hispanic, and White non-Hispanic women aged 20–40. While emotional affect scores did not significantly differ across groups, participants consistently reported a gap between their actual and ideal emotions, reflecting a desire for more positive experiences during routine visits. Welcoming and calming spaces were rated as the most important design qualities, followed by clear signage—features often missing from media portrayals. Although mediated images were viewed as more aesthetically appealing, participants in a photo-elicitation exercise responded most positively to a real waiting room with natural light, comfortable seating, and residential details. Conversely, crowded, clinical, or impersonal spaces evoked negative affect. Findings highlight how waiting room design is perceived to shape emotional experiences and position media representations as a potential pre-encounter influence on expectations of healthcare environments.