Navigating to and through large hospitals

Hughes, Nancy; Brown, Michael

Abstract

Navigating around large hospitals can be a highly stressful and time-pressured/consuming experience for patients, visitors and staff alike, with significant impacts upon operational efficiencies and overall ‘user experience’. The sheer size, complexity and continual reconfigurations of such environments are all factors, as are the hugely diverse needs and abilities of those visiting and working there. Despite an array of navigational information and aids to address such issues, from more traditional directional signage to web and app- based interactive maps, ‘getting lost’ continues to be an everyday problem. This study aims to identify the ‘real’ navigational issues which impact upon users of such spaces, as a basis for informing new navigational approaches, technological or otherwise. This paper will begin by outlining the current issue(s) involved in navigating large hospitals and the subsequent aim of a study; the study design and particular methodology; the findings to date and finally a brief discussion of potential navigational solutions.

Citation

Hughes, N., & Brown, M. (2015). Navigating to and through large hospitals. In Proceedings of the 3rd European Conference on Design4Health, Sheffield 13 – 16th July 2015 (1-9)

• Conference Name: Third European Conference on Design4Health
• Start Date: Jul 13, 2015
• End Date: Jul 16, 2015
• Acceptance Date: Jan 1, 2015
• Publication Date: Jul 13, 2015
• Deposit Date: Nov 24, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 11, 2019
• Publisher: Sheffield Hallam University
• Pages: 1-9
• Book Title: Proceedings of the 3rd European Conference on Design4Health, Sheffield 13 – 16th July 2015
• ISBN: 9781843873853
• Keywords: Healthcare service design; hospital environments; navigating; wayfinding; user-centred design; evidence-based design; Critical Incident Technique
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1306033
• Publisher URL: https://research.shu.ac.uk/design4health/publications/2015-conference-proceedings
• Related Public URLs: https://research.shu.ac.uk/design4health/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/D4H_Hughes_Brown.pdf