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The Healing Environment for Healthcare Staff in Paediatric Settings: A Cross-National Semi-Structured Survey on
Silvia Mangili1, Beatrice Pattaro1, Andrea Brambilla1
1Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering (DABC), Design & Health Lab, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy.
Insights
Hospital environments significantly impact healthcare staff well-being and efficiency. A study comparing two pediatric hospitals found higher staff satisfaction in Sweden than Italy, highlighting the role of design and space.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Management
- Environmental Psychology
- Hospital Architecture
Background:
- The hospital environment critically influences patient and healthcare worker experiences.
- A questionnaire-based study was conducted at two pediatric hospitals in Italy and Sweden to assess staff perspectives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To gather healthcare staff feedback on perceived environmental quality through post-occupancy evaluation.
- To compare staff perceptions of hospital environments across diverse geographical and cultural settings.
Main Methods:
- A semi-structured survey tool with 42 closed-ended items (Likert scale) and 2 open-ended questions was utilized.
- The survey assessed the presence and quality of specific environmental and functional hospital features.
Main Results:
- Significant contrasts in staff satisfaction were observed between the two hospitals.
- Swedish hospital staff reported higher satisfaction; the Italian hospital showed notable shortcomings.
- Common concerns included limited space for staff and a lack of private offices for doctors.
Conclusions:
- Environmental quality significantly affects healthcare staff satisfaction, efficiency, and emotional well-being.
- Architectural design, spatial layout, and investment in staff spaces influence daily professional experiences.
- Differences in these factors can lead to contrasting outcomes in healthcare settings.
Background:
The existing literature emphasises that the hospital environment plays a critical role in the experiences of patients and healthcare workers. To better understand the perspectives of healthcare staff in such settings, a questionnaire-based study was conducted at two paediatric hospitals: Vittore Buzzi Hospital (Milan, Italy) and Queen Silvia Children's Hospital (Gothenburg, Sweden).
Objective:
The study had two main objectives: to collect feedback from healthcare staff via a post-occupancy evaluation focused on perceived environmental quality and to compare staff perceptions across different geographical and cultural contexts.
Methods:
A semi-structured survey tool consisting of 42 closed-ended items (40 of which used a 5-point Likert scale) and 2 open-ended questions was employed. The items assessed the presence and quality of specific environmental and functional features.
Results:
The findings reveal significant contrasts between the two hospitals. Staff at the Swedish hospital reported higher satisfaction levels across most areas, whereas the Italian hospital demonstrated significant shortcomings. Common concerns in both hospitals included limited space for medical and administrative staff and the absence of private offices for doctors.
Conclusions:
This study confirms that environmental quality affects not only patients, but also staff, impacting their satisfaction, perceived efficiency, and emotional well-being. The contrasting outcomes highlight the significant influence that differences in architectural design, spatial layout, and investment in staff-oriented spaces can have on the day-to-day experiences of healthcare professionals.
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