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Hospital Greenspaces and the Impacts on Wayfinding and Spatial Experience: An Explorative Experiment Through
Shan Jiang1, David Allison2, Andrew T Duchowski3
1School of Design and Community Development, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA.
HERD
|January 11, 2022
Summary
Adding visible greenspaces to hospital designs significantly improves navigation and mood. This enhances the overall healthcare experience for patients and staff by aiding wayfinding and creating a more positive environment.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Psychology
- Healthcare Design
- Human-Computer Interaction
Background:
- Large hospitals present significant wayfinding challenges due to complexity and constant changes.
- Poor navigation in healthcare settings can negatively impact patient mood, stress levels, and overall experience.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of visible greenspaces on wayfinding performance and spatial experience in hospital environments.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of immersive virtual environment (IVE) techniques in studying hospital navigation.
Main Methods:
- A survey-embedded experiment utilizing immersive virtual environment (IVE) technology.
- Seventy-four participants completed timed wayfinding tasks in virtual hospital settings with and without visible greenspaces.
- Wayfinding performance metrics (task completion, duration, distance, stops, route selection) and subjective experiences (mood, perceived aesthetics, presence) were recorded.
Main Results:
- Participants demonstrated improved wayfinding performance in virtual hospitals with visible greenspaces, showing reduced time, shorter distances, fewer stops, and more efficient routes.
- Enhanced mood states, more favorable spatial experiences, and improved perceived aesthetics were reported in the presence of greenspaces.
- Immersive virtual environment (IVE) techniques proved effective for studying environment-behavior relationships in healthcare settings.
Conclusions:
- Integrating visible greenspaces into hospital design can serve as effective landmarks, aiding navigation and improving the overall experience.
- Greenspaces positively influence attention, wayfinding, and navigational satisfaction within complex healthcare environments.
- Visible greenspaces contribute to a more positive and less stressful healthcare journey for all users.
