At home in the hospital and hospitalised at home: Exploring experiences of cancer care environments

Abstract

Contemporary cancer care takes place within a healthcare system catering for a highly mobile demographic. This study aimed to better understand how patients experience the cancer care environment (CCE) and the role of spatial aspects therein. We explore the effectiveness of photovoice in discussing this experience over time and the extent to which image production helps emphasise the role of spatial aspects. Three patients were interviewed over the course of 6 weeks. Experiences of the CCE turned out to change over time and across space as repeated travel to the hospital and transitions within the hospital resulted in new impressions and routines. Participants describe the dynamic and linked makeup of the CCE, suggesting a concatenation of places over time. The photovoice method blurs the boundary between researcher and participant, allowing features of the CCE to come to the fore that would otherwise not be considered. Over time, the hospital becomes 'a second home' to some, facilitating more than medical consultations and treatments only. A particular challenge for hospital design is therefore to improve the initial experience. Simultaneously, the home environment becomes a place of medical care at a distance. Caution is required when transforming the home into such a place as patients can feel insecure and distant from the watchful eye of the specialists.