Implementation of Wayfinding Signage in Public Hospitals and Its Evaluation Towards Quality Improvement

Background: Signage is important in any public place. It involves information about nomenclature, wayfinding, service timing, emergency preparedness, and regulatory compliance. It plays an important role in helping the patient reach their desired destination with minimum difficulty, thereby enhancing the patient experience. The hospital under study is a vast facility encompassing 130 acres. Outpatient services have a monthly footfall of nearly 1 lakh patients, and there are about 1,800 admissions per month. Patients and visitors are usually unaware of the facility and face difficulties in wayfinding amidst the large number of patients. Due to difficulty in wayfinding, the patients often seek the help of hospital staff to reach the desired locations. Trilingual signage (English, Hindi, and regional language - Odia) was installed in a 960-bed tertiary care public hospital in Eastern India as a Quality Improvement initiative towards the goal of a patient-friendly hospital.

The study aims to evaluate the multi-lingual signage system in the hospital and recommend suggestions.

Wayfinding or the signage work was undertaken as a Total Quality Management (TQM) Project in the study setting, conducted over 36 months. The effectiveness of the signage system was evaluated using a questionnaire-based survey among the patients, attendants, and other visitors.

Color-coded multilingual signage installed in the hospital block and its surrounding areas included the naming of various areas, way-finding, and safety signage. The most difficult areas to find were ICUs (35.6%), OT (31.1%), and laboratories (31.1%). Additionally, 98% of the participants could reach their desired destination but had to double-check with the staff.

It was evident from the study that hospital signage plays a crucial role in hospitals by improving wayfinding, enhancing the patient experience, and promoting safety and emergency preparedness. Signage also indirectly contributes to better patient care. In large teaching hospitals, human assistance is also necessary for wayfinding.