We have developed a set of Guiding Principles which have been informed by our review of human rights principles, provincial, national and international conventions, codes, laws and guidelines as well as our initial research findings. These Guiding Principles will inform the development of our inclusive and adaptive multi-patient room design guidelines.
The Guiding Principles were developed into four themes:
Sensing Space, Emotions in Space, Comfort in Space & Diversity in Space
People interpret and understand the world around them through their senses and body. Integrating elements for multi sensory experiences, including the visual system, the auditory system, the taste-smell system, the basic-operating system, and the haptic system, can have therapeutic value in patient recovery, especially for individuals with different abilities.
Knowing how environments evoke emotional responses in individuals provides a basis for understanding how people engage and interact with spaces and offer designers, planners and managers of public spaces the chance to gauge individual’s responses to different stimuli in the built environment.
Public spaces might be designed to alleviate anxiety and generate a sense of psychological comfort among their users. This is of particular importance as there are different perspectives on what it means to be psychologically comfortable, such as having belongings, ownership or control and satisfaction of our basic needs and personal tastes.
Exploring cultural background is essential in understanding how humans interact with built environments. People’s perceptions, decisions and experiences are based on their cultural values and backgrounds. We should acknowledge that the built environment supports or inhibits human behaviours associated with culture
Shape our Patient Room
These Guiding Principles have help shape and inform our patient room conceptual model.
The design parameters will form the basis of our inclusive design guidelines, and are broken down into three themes:
- Comfortable environment, which considers elements such as light, temperature, sound and air quality
- Well-functioning healing space, which has to do with safety, flexibility and patient-centered care
- Relaxing atmosphere, incorporates visual displays such as signage, artwork and colour, links to nature, and multi-sensory experiences such as music, soundscapes and odour
The health outcomes form the basis for our evaluation model. We will measure and evaluate against factors such as physical outcomes including body integrity, pain and infection, Psychological Perception, such as depression, stress and disorientation and lived experience such as social interaction, length of stay, sleep quality and satisfaction.
Prototype Evaluation criteria: Inclusivity Checklist
We created an Inclusivity Checklist based on our design guidelines and parameters. Under each Guiding Principle is listed the item which the Inclusivity Checklist supports and its requirements for evaluation.
Comfort in Space Principle
Reduce patient pain, stress, anxiety, and mental confusion:
- Patient access to views of nature and other positive distractions
- Patient access to daylight and sunlight without compromising visual comfort
- Visually appealing environment
- Environmental measures in place to reduce the risk of hospital acquired delirium
- Minimization of environmental sources of sleep disturbances in patient rooms
Improve patient engagement, satisfaction, and comfort:
- The design allowing for family to engage in activities without disturbing patients
- Provision for family to rest
- Family engagement support in patient care
Provide safe delivery of care:
- Evaluate based on supportive patient monitoring by nurses and other provider
Sensing Space Principle
Provide flexible multisensory experiences for individuals with a wide range of abilities:
- Incorporation of multisensory experience offerings so patients can engage with their surroundings in their own way
Emotions in Space Principle
Provide a secure and visually appealing physical environment
- Adequate security of the patient, medical supplies and personal belongings.
- Incorporation of art and other interior design elements that evoke a sense of wellness
Diversity in Space principle
Respect privacy
- Auditory and visual privacy, and
- Inclusion of design elements for different abilities
Enable and enhance patient sense of control
- Patients ability to have control over their environment, without compromising safety
- Adequate space for storage or use of any personal belongings
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