Navigating to and through large hospitals

Hughes, Nancy; Brown, Michael

Authors

Nancy Hughes

Michael Brown

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