Elderly users' perceptions of signage systems from tertiary hospitals in Guangzhou

Wayfinding in hospitals today is a significant challenge for urban residents, especially for the elderly. This study investigated the perceptions and attitudes of the elderly toward existing hospital signage systems to identify the wayfinding needs in the healthcare environment. This study collected 762 elderly participants' perceptions and personal preferences regarding 12 features of the existing signage systems in three hospitals in the Yuexiu, Haizhu, and Liwan districts of Guangzhou using a questionnaire methodology. The study further explored the differences in perceptions and preferences for signage based on the gender, age, and educational level of the elderly participants. The findings indicate that most of the elderly participants experienced becoming lost in the hospital; they typically chose to ask others for directions first, followed by using the signage system. Most of the elderly participants had positive attitudes toward the current hospital signage system. Furthermore, they emphasized the importance of the signage system's graphics, texts, colors, and updates, which directly affects the readability and comprehensibility of signs. We found gender differences in perceptions and attitudes toward signage; male participants had more positive attitudes toward the hospital signage systems than female participants. Additionally, consistent with previous findings, the older the age of participants, the less comprehension they had regarding signage graphic symbols. We also found that the more educated elderly participants were, the more understanding of signage they had. At the same time, however, they were less satisfied, which is possibly because the more educated they were, the more aware they were of signage issues.