Wayfinding in a hospital environment: proposing methodologies to impact positively well-being of patients, visitors, and staff

Abstract

When in a hospital environment, whether for medical consultation, to visit a loved person, or even to start a new job, many people might experience stress and frustration. Those negative feelings and emotions impact well-being and are not necessarily or solely the consequence of the motive people go to the hospital. They often are instigated by the experience of people not finding their way through the hospital campus or in the hospital buildings themselves. Although many healthcare environments and hospitals often invest a lot of money and effort to implement a proper signage system, as it represents one of the critical aspects of their "identity", many challenges remain. In this paper, we highlight the importance of wayfinding as a crucial element for a comfortable hospital atmosphere and, consequently, a positive experience for their public. A good wayfinding strategy is fundamental to all users involved in the daily functioning of a healthcare environment, as it can dramatically impact their well-being. We illustrate our point-of-view by discussing the methodology that was applied to gain insight in the wayfinding system of a Belgian hospital in order to nurture the design process of developing a new wayfinding strategy for this client. Different perspectives will be highlighted considering the understanding of various user groups and their difficulties and challenges encountered when trying to find their way in hospitals: the public, the architecture, the local culture, complex buildings and sites, stress and vulnerability of the people, routes and many other aspects. Together, these insights nurtured the strategy and design of an effective wayfinding system for the concerned healthcare facility.