Wayfinding in a hospital environment: proposing methodologies to impact positively well-being of patients, visitors, and staff

When in a hospital environment, whether for medical consultation, to visit a loved person, or even to start a new job, many people might experience stress and frustration. Those negative feelings and emotions impact our well-being and are not necessarily or solely the consequence of the motive we go to the hospital. They often are instigated by our experience of not finding our way through the hospital campus, or in the hospital buildings themselves. Although many healthcare environments and hospitals often invest a large amount of money and efforts in implementing a proper signage system, as it essentially entails a key aspect of their "identity", many challenges still stand. In this paper, we point out the importance of wayfinding as a crucial element for a comfortable atmosphere of a hospital and consequently the positive experience of their public. A good wayfinding strategy is fundamental to all users involved in the daily functioning of a healthcare environment, as it can dramatically impact their well-being. Different perspectives will be analysed considering the understanding of various users groups and their difficulties and challenges to encounter when trying to find their way in hospitals: the public, the architecture, the local culture, complex buildings and sites, stress and vulnerability of the people, routes and many other aspects. Together, these data will bring input for the strategy and design of an effective wayfinding system for a healthcare facility.