Using Virtual Reality (VR) Mock-Ups for Evidence-Based Healthcare Facility Design Decisions

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Design
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Simulation Technology

Background:

• Healthcare environments involve complex design decisions with trade-offs.
• Virtual reality (VR) mock-ups enable design teams to evaluate planned healthcare spaces.
• Simulation-based mock-up evaluations using VR are explored for their value.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the overall value of using VR mock-ups for simulation-based evaluations in healthcare design.
• To assess the predictive validity of VR mock-ups by comparing data to existing physical spaces.
• To evaluate the impact of design modifications on quality and patient safety.

Main Methods:

• Compared data from VR mock-up scenario enactments with data from an existing medication room.
• Assessed predictive validity and examined quality/patient safety outcomes from VR design modifications.
• Collected survey data on participant perceptions of realism and utility of the VR evaluation process.

Main Results:

• VR mock-ups accurately assessed workflow, interruptions, and task completion times.
• A 506% return on investment was achieved through VR mock-up evaluations.
• Limitations included inability to capture searching behaviors and unassessed accuracy for selection errors/equipment placement.

Conclusions:

• VR mock-up evaluations provide evidence-based data for healthcare design.
• Organizations must align evaluation objectives with VR capabilities for appropriate use.
• The study demonstrates the potential utility and cost-effectiveness of VR in design mock-ups.