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Published on: February 16, 2011
Participatory art-based research with children to gain their perspectives on designing healthcare environments
Tineke Water1, Jill Wrapson2, Ema Tokolahi2
1a Department of Nursing , Auckland University of Technology , Auckland , New Zealand.
Insights
Children want child-friendly hospital spaces with art and clear directions. They value caring staff most in outpatient departments. This study explored children's views on hospital environments.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric healthcare design
- Child psychology in healthcare settings
- Patient experience research
Background:
- Investigated children's experiences and needs in the public spaces of Starship Children's Directorate's Outpatients Department.
- Focused on understanding the child's perspective within a national children's hospital in New Zealand.
Purpose of the Study:
- To ascertain children's opinions and perceptions of the outpatient hospital environment.
- Gather insights into what aspects of the hospital environment are most significant to children.
Main Methods:
- Employed a participatory, art-based methodology, including 'draw and tell' and letter writing.
- Collected data from 175 children (ages 5-16) attending outpatient clinics, focusing on physical environment, wayfinding, noise, and uniforms.
- Utilized descriptive and thematic analysis for interpreting drawings and written responses.
Main Results:
- Children demonstrated high awareness of their surroundings and clearly articulated their preferences.
- Child-friendly elements like color and artwork were appreciated, but wayfinding presented difficulties for families.
- While the physical environment was important, children emphasized the value of warm and caring interactions with staff.
Conclusions:
- Participatory art-based methods provide a child-centered approach to understanding children's perspectives on hospital design.
- Findings highlight the importance of incorporating children's voices in creating supportive and effective healthcare environments.
Background:
A study was designed to understand the experiences and needs of children within the public spaces of the Outpatients Department of New Zealand's national children's hospital, Starship Childrens' Directorate.
Aim:
To find out from children what they thought about the outpatient environment.
Design:
A participatory art based methodology was used.
Methods:
Based around the key areas of the physical environment, wayfinding, noise, and uniforms, art-based methods (draw and tell and letter writing) were used to collect data from 175 children ages 5-16 whilst they attended outpatient clinics. The drawings and letters were analysed using descriptive/thematic analysis.
Results:
The findings show that children are very aware of their environment and are able to clearly voice what is important to them. Children appreciate environments that are child friendly, and inclusive of colour and artwork; however, wayfinding remains a challenge for many families. Although the environment was seen as important, children placed significant value on the people who demonstrated warmth and care within these environments.
Conclusion:
Participatory art based approaches offer a child centred approach to finding out what children perceive is important in the design of hospital environments.
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