Sixteenth International Conference on Design Principles & Practices

Abstract

The purpose of this presentation is to highlight, through an exploratory study, the attributes of the physical environment of a contemporary hospital that have an impact on the well-being of health care professionals. The study is qualitative in which we proceeded in stages, but in an iterative process. We did a visual analysis of the physical setting and observed the spatial behavior of health care professionals and interviewed 44 of them in 2 different care units. The analysis of the data shows that overall the healthcare professionals evaluated the design of this contemporary hospital positively. Certain physical attributes such as natural light in the hospital’s public spaces, care unit corridors, visitors’ lounge, and patient room, as well as the use of color and art elements, positively affect the well-being of these professionals. However, other attributes such as the linear spatial organization of the care unit, the remoteness of the nursing workstations present certain ergonomic issues and affect the well-being of these health care professionals. In addition, the work spaces dedicated exclusively to health professionals and the rest room on the care unit do not benefit from natural light. In conclusion, this study shows that despite the progress in contemporary hospital design, some attributes need to be improved in the design of spaces dedicated exclusively to health care professionals.