Offering Better Wayfinding in Hospitals
Problem
Hospitals in Toronto are architecturally complex because the layout is constantly changing due to ongoing retrofitting efforts. Adaptation to architectural changes takes time, therefore, confusion may occur during this period of adjustment. Additionally, the complex array of services provided in various locations make it difficult for visitors to access them conveniently and quickly.
Solution
We compiled a set of recommendation based on our research findings. We anticipate that the implementation of these recommendations will improve the wayfinding experience and lower the level of anxiety for visitors in healthcare facilities as well as help increase effectiveness and efficiencies of routine operations in the hospital.
Process
To acquire a general knowledge of the subject our team surveyed published literature on the subject of Wayfinding in hospitals. While there has been a lot of research conducted on the challenges of patients in the hospital we noticed that none of the research focused particularly on the tools available to front-desk staff and volunteers at the hospital. Keeping this in mind me came up with three research questions to help guide our research. We conducted overt unstructured observations and semi-structured in-person interviews at two Toronto hospitals to gather the necessary information to answer our research questions and provide recommendations informed by our user-centered research.
Client
Toronto GTA Hospitals
Deliverables
Research Findings Report
My Role
Researcher, Designer
Team
Angela-Xizhen Cao
Dandi Feng
Kate Kazlovich
Christina Park
1
Literature Review and Research Questions
We surveyed published literature on the subject of Wayfinding in hospitals and identified a gap in information available on the wayfinding tools employed by hospital staff. We came up with the following questions to guide our human-centred design research.
What are the possible usability and accessibility factors affecting in-hospital navigation and wayfinding?
What are hospital volunteers and information clerks’ attitudes towards the current resources available for in-hospital navigation?
How can effectiveness and efficiency of in-hospital navigation and wayfinding services provided by volunteers and information clerks be improved?
2
Research
Methods
Sample Selection
Participants Recruited:
We recruited two groups of participants that would be the most helpful in answering the research questions we posed:
Information clerks whose responsibilities and duties are primarily centered around interaction with visitors.
Hospital volunteers
involved in providing navigation services.
Persona
We build personas based on our research questions to help guide our research. Below is one of the persona profiles which helped our research team in shaping the research tools, including the screener questionnaire and interview questions.
A Persona Profile – Hospital Volunteer
Hospital Selected for Research
Acute Care Hospital
Observed: 5 volunteers
Interviewed: 6 volunteers
Trauma Centre Hospital
Observed: 4 information clerks; 1 volunteer
Interviewed: 4 volunteers
Methods
Overt Unstructured Observation
Focus areas:
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Flow and types of visitors at the information desk;
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Architectural infrastructure and layout of the hospital;
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Tools available to the information clerks and volunteers;
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Efficiency and frequency of tool usage;
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Unanticipated factors affecting information services.
Semi-structured in-person interview
Focus areas:
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Background info about nature of the work;
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Factors affecting wayfinding and in-hospital navigation;
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Usability and user attitudes towards navigation tools available;
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User perspectives, opinions, suggestions.
3
Research
Findings
Using the data collected through observation and interviews we performed a theme analysis and a frequency count to identify the most and least effective tools currently in use by the hospital staff for wayfinding purposes.
4
Design
Recommendations
Implement standardized
appointment sheet:
To reduce stress and confusion experienced by the hospital visitors before their appointments, create a single document that contains all the information that a patient needs to know before their hospital visit.
Offer better care with human interaction:
Our research revealed that hospital visitors prefer face-to-face interaction to digital wayfinding tools. To create a better experience for the visitors, appoint volunteers or trained staff to direct the visitors to their destinations.
Provide computer access to volunteers:
Front desk computers should allow hospital volunteers to access basic information (i.e., locations of clinics), while keeping confidential patent information secure.
5
Research Findings Summary Video
