Assessment of wayfinding performance in complex healthcare facilities: A conceptual framework
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-1-2022
Abstract
Wayfinding is considered to be one of the most demanding challenges to be performed by hospitals' users. Wayfinding has been an interest among researchers from different fields, such as architecture, interior design, cognitive psychology, and facilities management, to name a few. Previous scholars have highlighted the need for a holistic framework taking into consideration both user and environmental factors. A narrative review of the literature was carried out to understand the full extent of the issue and address the ever-increasing demand for a holistic assessment framework. This article attempts to address the underlying gap by proposing a comprehensive framework that takes into account both facets of the issue through a narrative review of the literature to some of the most prominent research attempts to address the problem of wayfinding in complex healthcare settings. Furthermore, the proposed framework can assist both researchers and practicing professionals by providing a comprehensive understanding of the issue of complex wayfinding as well as of the variables to be investigated in the assessment process.
Keywords
Wayfinding, Pathfinding, Navigation, Indoor environment, Interior environment, Healthcare facilities, Hospitals, Assessment framework
Divisions
psychological,Architecture
Funders
None
Publication Title
Sustainability
Volume
14
Issue
24
Publisher
MDPI
Publisher Location
ST ALBAN-ANLAGE 66, CH-4052 BASEL, SWITZERLAND