7 Organizations Promoting Better Healthcare Wayfinding
by Mark Denton on April 3rd, 2009
A few months ago, in a post about the 2008 Healthcare Design Conference, I mentioned some annual healthcare-related conferences for people interested in facility design. Since then, I have been wanting do a more comprehensive list of organizations that promote better healthcare design, and that have at least some interest in the role that wayfinding can play in improving the patient experience.
If you are a healthcare architect or facility manager who isn’t already familiar with all of these organizations, you should definitely give them a close look. And if you’re a wayfinding professional looking to develop a better understanding of how concepts such as family-centered care, patient satisfaction, and evidence-based design are shaping the environment at healthcare facilities, these groups are a great place to start.
1. The Center for Health Design
The Center for Health Design is the most active and robust of the organizations listed here. They are the driving force behind the annual Healthcare Design conference, which is the premier event for people interested in healthcare facility design, and they are also the creators of the Pebble Project, which is documenting the financial and quality-of-care benefits of better facility design, and the Evidence Based Design Accreditation & Certification program.
This is also the organization that gives the most attention to wayfinding, and seems to best understand both the impact that wayfinding can have on the patient experience, and amount of strategic thinking that goes into the development of a truly effective wayfinding program. They regularly feature presentations on wayfinding at the Healthcare Design conference, and have included the subject in many of their educational and research materials.
2. The American Society for Healthcare Engineering
Part of the American Hospital Association, the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) is a large, active organization, with quite a few resources available to members and the public. As the name implies, their focus leans a little bit more toward the technical aspects of facility design, with a lot of discussion of technical topics ranging from lean project delivery to displacement ventilation.
The annual Planning and Design Conference (PDC), which ASHE puts on in conjunction with the American Institute of Architects’ Academy of Architecture for Health, includes a healthy dose of evidence-based design and patient-experience-related sessions. And while this year’s conference (March 1-8 in Phoenix) doesn’t include any wayfinding sessions, I know they have included these in the past, and I even presented there a few years ago.
3. The American Institute of Architects’ Academy of Architecture for Health
In addition to their involvement with ASHE’s annual Planning and Design Conference and the Center for Health Design’s Healthcare Design Conference, the AIA Academy of Architecture for Health has several of its own resource offerings. These include an awards program, an irregularly published journal, fellowships, and a “Healthcare 101″ webinar series.
4. The Institute for Family-Centered Care
The Institute for Family-Centered Care is a non-profit organization devoted to promoting the understanding and practice of patient- and family-centered care. According to the organization, the core concepts of patient- and family-centered care are:
- Dignity and Respect. Health care practitioners listen to and honor patient and family perspectives and choices. Patient and family knowledge, values, beliefs and cultural backgrounds are incorporated into the planning and delivery of care.
- Information Sharing. Health care practitioners communicate and share complete and unbiased information with patients and families in ways that are affirming and useful. Patients and families receive timely, complete, and accurate information in order to effectively participate in care and decision-making.
- Participation. Patients and families are encouraged and supported in participating in care and decision-making at the level they choose.
- Collaboration. Patients and families are also included on an institution-wide basis. Health care leaders collaborate with patients and families in policy and program development, implementation, and evaluation; in health care facility design; and in professional education, as well as in the delivery of care.
Much of the organization’s focus is on operational or clinical issues such as doctor-patient communications and information sharing, but they extend their recommendations into facility design as well. In the Environment and Design section on their web site, for example, they address both the design process and some recommended features of a patient- and family-centered physical environment, including a section on signage.
5. The American College of Healthcare Architects
The American College of Healthcare Architects provides Board Certification for Architects who practice as healthcare specialists. In addition to administering the certification exam, the organization also puts on workshops and education sessions, and their searchable online member directory is a great resource if you are trying to find architects that specialize in healthcare design.
6. The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design
The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design is a young organization whose mission is to “improve the nurse’s work environment through education and collaboration.” There’s not a lot of info on the public area of the site, but it sounds like an organization that may be worth keeping an eye on.
7. The Healthcare Facilities Symposium
The Healthcare Facilities Symposium is actually a for-profit event, not technically connected to any industry organization. It’s definitely not a fly-by-night operation, however. It has been around for 22 years, the program is very good, and it typically features at least one session devoted to wayfinding. My impression is that this event falls somewhere between the Healthcare Design and ASHE conferences. It’s not quite as high-minded as the former, but a little less nuts-and-bolts than the latter.
Let me know if you are familiar with any organizations that I have missed, or feel free to share your recommendations in the comments.
Tags: wayfinding