Why does this study matter?
Children who have physical challenges, developmental delays, behavioral problems, and chronic health conditions, often spend significant time in healthcare facilities. While the body of evidence related to healing environments is growing, most studies focus on adults and may not be generalizable to children and adolescent patients who are in various developmental phases. Additionally, environmental needs across developmental stages differ and may vary depending on the child’s particular condition. Researchers aimed to study young patients’ views on their physical surroundings with a specific focus on the lobby and inpatient hospital room.
How was the study done?
In preparation for the remodel of a pediatric facility in Germany, patients were asked to either draw a picture or write a letter about their preferred lobby and/or hospital room. These works were used as the focus of individual, semi-structured interviews where patients were asked questions about their experiences and perspectives. Older patients (above 12 years of age) preferred to just participate in interviews either due to physical limitations or because they felt it was more mature. Interviews were recorded and when artistic work was included, photos were taken of the works so patients could keep the originals. While patients selected the location for the interviews, most interviews about the hospital room occurred in a model room that had been mocked up by construction managers. Qualitative analysis for this study focused on explanation and congruence with existing literature rather than elaborate description.
So what do we learn from the study?
37 patients participated in total of which 13 characterized both the lobby and an inpatient room. Researchers identified 3 themes:
Can we say the results are definitive?
The decision to not collect demographic data to preserve participant confidentiality created a limitation, such that conclusions could not be drawn based on socioeconomic status or cultural background. Additionally, generalization is somewhat limited by the small sample, and the focus on only two areas in one facility; however, it is important to recognize that these findings represent often overlooked perspectives.
What’s the takeaway?
Design recommendations identified from this study include:
Pediatric facilities need to accommodate a wide variety of users of different abilities and developmental stages such that the environment needs to be practical and might include automated customization to support both patients and families.
Summary of:
Payam, S., Hossaini, J., Zaschka, K., Friedmann, A., Mall, V. (2023) Designing well-being: A qualitative investigation of young patients’ perspectives on the material hospital environment. HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal, Issue 3, Volume 16, Pages 168-181. https://doi.org/10.1177/19375867231165763
Our slidecasts are an outcome of the popular Research Matters presentations at the annual Healthcare Design Expo & Conference. Our research team picks papers that have some significance to the healthcare design community and distill the study down into a 5-minute summary of how the study was done, what was learned, the limitations and the takeaway. The slidecasts bring research to you in digestible format. Just five minutes, and you’ll know more.