In the article Designing for Behavioral Health Facilities authors Sine and Hunt explain the unique design requirements of behavioral health facilities as opposed to other medical facilities. They emphasize that facilities should avoid an institutional look and be made to look as residential as possible for the comfort of the patient.

Reduction of patient suicide is now a National Patient Safety Goal of The Joint Commission.

Behavioral health facilities also have to create an environment that takes into consideration the intelligence and creativity of their patients. Authors state that these patients can be committed to finding a way to end their lives or harm themselves in spite of the best efforts of professional clinicians and designers. Because of The Door Switch’s streamlined look, it goes largely unnoticed to the patient and is not easily tampered with.