Inductive Approach

Our goal is to support and improve patient health and recovery in shared hospital rooms. The initial challenge was to understand the needs and preferences of hospital patients. We decided to focus on shared patient rooms that accommodate 2 or more people. This allows us to tailor the environment to meet patient-specific needs and expectations.

We based our approach on our initial data collection. We talked with real patients, nurses, and families in our own lives. This helped us understand their experiences and pain points with hospital rooms. Since elderly patients have unique health care needs, we focused on patients ages 50 and over.

Designing patient rooms within large hospitals is twofold, especially in big, multicultural cities. First, these spaces must meet accessibility standards. Second, they must accommodate cultural differences, language barriers, and physical disabilities. This helps to support a diverse range of patients so that none feel isolated or unsettled in their rooms.