Health facilities humanisation: design guidelines supported by statistical evidence

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Architecture
• Evidence-Based Design
• Patient-Centered Design

Background:

• Healthcare building humanisation is a growing global concern.
• Patient-Centered Design is increasingly adopted worldwide but nascent in Italy.
• Research was commissioned by the Italian Health Ministry to develop humanisation design guidelines.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define design guidelines for healthcare facility humanisation.
• To develop an evaluation system for ranking health facilities based on humanisation.
• To address the early stage of patient-centered design in Italy.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the established need and performance approach in architectural design.
• Conducted statistical investigations to define and rank user needs and requirements.
• Collaborated with psychologists and researchers from Italian universities.

Main Results:

• Statistical evidence enabled the definition of humanisation design guidelines for healthcare facilities.
• Developed a system for assessing the specific level of humanisation achieved in facilities.
• Provided a framework for ranking health facilities based on humanisation.

Conclusions:

• The research provides actionable guidelines for improving healthcare facility design.
• The evaluation system offers a method for measuring and improving humanisation in healthcare settings.
• This work supports the advancement of patient-centered and evidence-based design in Italy.