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Hospitals can be complex and confusing environments for patients, visitors and staff as they often have multiple floors, different departments and numerous buildings. Navigating all these elements can result in unnecessary stress for patients and visitors, particularly in emergency situations.
HealthShare NSW recently released a publication on wayfinding and why it’s such an important tool for healthcare facilities. The publication was designed to inform those designing and managing healthcare facilities, about the entire scope of wayfinding and key considerations that need to be made, throughout the entire process.
Indoor navigation with a quality wayfinding solution plays an important role in enhancing user experience. Liveli and our partners, MapsPeople, have a world-leading, digital wayfinding solution, MapsIndoors, to provide hospital patients, staff and visitors with a smooth and efficient experience.
Why wayfinding is important in hospitals
Effective wayfinding in hospitals is critical in order to provide a safe and stress-free journey for patients, visitors, and healthcare professionals. Wayfinding goes far beyond mere signage; it’s a comprehensive system that guides users from the moment they arrive until they leave the facility. Hospitals are inherently stressful environments, and getting lost or struggling to find a destination due to poor wayfinding can exacerbate already elevated stress levels.
Hospitals are complex, multi-level facilities with numerous departments, wings, and floors, making navigation a challenge for those unfamiliar with the layout. Without a clear and intuitive wayfinding system, users can become disoriented, leading to missed / late appointments, frustration and increased stress. In contrast, effective wayfinding can ease visitor anxiety, enhance patient safety, reduce staff workload, and improve the overall quality of care. Clear signage, maps, and directions can help patients and their families locate their destinations quickly and easily, leading to a more positive healthcare experience.
Key points for successful wayfinding
Hospitals cater to all members of the Australian population, with a number of diverse cultures and languages, a large aged community and as much as 20% of the population with some form of disability1. This means that hospitals should have a wayfinding solution that caters to the needs of all user groups. This can be achieved through close collaboration and the use of universal design principles, which create an inclusive space that is accessible and safe for everyone.
A complete user experience includes various forms of communication as well as design, architecture, and environment that work together to build a seamless experience from the moment a user leaves home until they return. This can be achieved by using advanced mapping technologies, intuitive navigation systems, and clear signage.
“Successful wayfinding means better experiences for everyone using the facility.”
- HealthShare NSW
Large healthcare facilities are in a constant state of flux, with departments moving, areas expanding, and renovations ongoing. Changes in the built environment or hospital processes can have a significant impact on the user's navigational processes, and the wayfinding system needs to be managed and maintained to deal with these changes. This requires ongoing maintenance and updating of the wayfinding system to ensure that it remains effective and fit for purpose.
Integrating digital wayfinding
Maps play a crucial role in helping users understand the layout of a healthcare facility or campus. They should be easily accessible to patients and visitors, such as through appointment letters or facility websites. A comprehensive facility map should include key points of interest, like entrances, roads, public transport stops, and identifiable landmarks. It should also provide clear information about entry points to the facility and the preferred route. To ensure ease of use, the map should be oriented in the direction that the user is facing, and it should be easy to follow for a variety of users. By providing clear and accessible maps, healthcare facilities can improve wayfinding and reduce stress for patients and visitors. Here is an example of how digital wayfinding was applied at AdventHealth in Orlando.
How Liveli/ MapsPeople can help
Liveli and partners MapsPeople offer a comprehensive indoor wayfinding solution, dubbed MapsIndoors, for healthcare facilities that includes digital maps, indoor navigation, and real-time updates.
Liveli and MapsPeople’s technologies can be integrated into maps and navigation services, allowing users to access digital maps and directions from their mobile devices. The platform can also be merged with kiosks, allowing users to search for and locate specific points of interest, such as clinics, bathrooms, and cafeterias. MapsIndoors is able to highlight key points of interest and provide turn-by-turn directions to users.
Together, Liveli and MapsPeople offer a powerful wayfinding solution that can help healthcare facilities improve patient experience, reduce stress, and increase efficiency. By leveraging real-time data, detailed maps, and digital navigation tools, Liveli and MapsPeople help users navigate the complex and often stressful environment of a hospital with ease and confidence.
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1https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Hospitals/Pages/wayfinding-for-healthcare-facilities.aspx
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