The patient journey in a hospital environment

Background and aim – Patients undergo one or more medical interventions in a hospital. In the hospital, patients are surrounded by spaces and services. The output in a hospital is the patients’ outcome.
To gain understanding about a holistic experience of patients, we assessed the experience and well-being of patients at specific focal points of the entire patient journey: from the arrival, to the diagnosis and the actual treatment in a hospital.
Methods – This article describes three field experiments that were conducted in a Dutch hospital. First, in an age-simulation study the effect of route complexity and physical ageing was assessed during 108 wayfinding tasks. Second, in a quasi-randomized experiment the use of a motion-nature projection was assessed during a diagnostic scan (N = 97) . Lastly, in a quasi-randomized experiment the effect of a nontalking rule during an outpatient infusion treatment was assessed (N = 263).
Results – A wide variety of patients visit a hospital and all patients of course bring an opinion of their own and experience their hospital visit differently. However, patients benefit from a simple building structure during wayfinding, inexpensive beamers to project nature during diagnostics, and a mix of treatment places with respect to social interest during infusion treatments.
Originality – There is little discussion about the holistic experience of patients, that concerns the cognitive, emotional, physical, and social well-being of patients. In our study we applied a holistic and patient-centered approach.
Practical or social implications – The well-being of patients can be significantly improved when the built, natural, and sound environment is taken into account with respect to individual differences.
Type of paper – Research paper.