ASSESSMENT OF ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN ELEMENTS INFLUENCING WAYFINDING FOR ORTHOPAEDIC HOSPITALS IN MINNA, NIGERIA

Abstract

Wayfinding in healthcare facilities has been found to be quite difficult for a new patient or visitor. This is as a result that the physical environment of a health care setting may be the most challenging area in architecture in terms of wayfinding and humanistic planning and design. The Niger State Government has set out to improve healthcare delivery, reduce accident mortality, develop a good wayfinding system that uses less staff and volunteer time.  Also assist in alleviating people’s stress, frustration, and anxiety that have been associated with healthcare facilities that are difficult to navigate. Hence, the aim of this study is to assess architectural design elements influencing wayfinding in an orthopaedic hospital in Minna, Nigeria. The study adopted a quantitative esearch approach; a total of 200 questionnaires were distributed throughout the study population, with 160 questionnaires (80%) successfully recovered. The results show that 56.3% of the professionals indicated that making distinct areas with unique visual characteristics would improve wayfinding. Further findings show that offering training sessions to employees to familiarise them with signage and teach them how to effectively help visitors navigate the hospital will enhance wayfinding in the hospital. The study recommended that there’s need for architects to use distinctive landscape components in order to function as external indicators for users of hospital facilities. It concluded that the ability to find a desired destination in a hospital effectively reduces stress and fatigue, improves care delivery, reduces patient and family stress, and enhances overall healthcare quality.