Madson, M., Goodwin, K. (2021). Color Coding the “Labyrinth”: How Staff Perceived a Two-Part Intervention to Improve Wayfinding in an Adult Emergency Department. Health Environments Research & Design Journal, Vol. 14 (4) 429-441.
ARTICLE
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Abstract
Objective: We report a two-part wayfinding intervention, considering four quality criteria (visibility, usability, efficiency and overall effectiveness) from staff perspectives.
Background: Few studies to date have explored wayfinding in the Emergency Department (ED). Yet, as ED usage continues to grow, effective wayfinding in these high-stress, fast-paced environments is likely to become increasingly important. At an adult ED located in the U.S. Southeast, wayfinding has been a persistent problem. We subsequently developed a two-part wayfinding intervention: colored routes to key destinations in the ED and corresponding visitor badges.
Methods: Quality criteria were formulated using the Donabedian model: visibility (structure), usability (process), efficiency (process), and overall effectiveness (outcome). Assessments consisted of staff surveys, which were distributed from March to early April 2019.
Results: The strong ratings across quality criteria, added to affirmative comments from staff, provide evidence that the color coding system made a positive impact on wayfinding.
Conclusion: While the results should be generalized with caution, the two-part intervention may be highly portable to other contexts. Future studies might examine the effect of colored routes alone or illuminate relations between structure, process, and outcomes as they relate to the assessment of wayfinding. Results may also expand wayfinding quality criteria. Ultimately, such studies should improve not only productivity, but also the accessibility and user experience of the ED.
Michael Madson, PhD, is an assistant professor at Arizona State University, where he teaches courses in technical communication and user experience. His scholarship focuses on wayfinding in hospitals, the training of healthcare workers, and drug safety, especially opioids and cannabis. Michael is also an adjunct associate professor at the Medical University of South Carolina.
Host:
Kati Peditto, PhD, EDAC, WELL AP, is an environmental psychologist and researcher at HDR. She received her PhD in Human Behavior and Design from Cornell University and completed postdoctoral training in the Dept. of Design and Environmental Analysis. Her research focuses on providing equitable health environments for adolescents and young adults, ranging from pediatric cancer facilities to college health centers. She is the recipient of the 2018 New Investigator Award from The Center for Health Design, and a 2018 AIA-AAH Tuttle Fellow in Health Facility Planning and Design.
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