Managing a healthcare facility isn’t just about the provision of medical facilities and technologies that can help patients and clients. Hospitals and healthcare facilities are best-known for its medical facilities and new technologies, but the provision of this service is not the end of the job of the hospital managers. It is equally important to bring clients and hospital services and facilities together by including a wayfinding system into the hospital’s strategic plan.
Wayfinding system solves spatial problems
Considered by many as ‘spatial problem solving’, an effective wayfinding system can help a person know where he is, show where he intends to go and points how to reach it in a faster manner. In order to come up with an effective and reliable wayfinding system in a healthcare facility, it’s important to pay attention to a number of principles including the use of effective signage.
Effective wayfinding system should provide patients and clients with indicators of where they are, and should provide them with strong ideas on how to find the rooms and laboratories. In a hospital setting, time is an essential resource. You don’t want to keep your patients and clients guessing on where they should turn to. Or worse, you don’t your patients and clients to proceed to the wrong area because of poorly-designed and implemented wayfinding system! This is one customer service nightmare that you want to avoid since this can frustrate clients and can even cost the lives of patients.
Effective wayfinding starts with the use of signage
One solution is to implement effective wayfinding features. It’s important that you come up with a positive experience as soon as they step inside the hospital. This can be done by installing identification signage, directional signage, building directories and individual signage for doors and laboratories. Building identifications are critical in a hospital setting since these can provide clients with upfront information. The lettering can be cut from different materials like brass and aluminium and can be painted to complement the building’s design.
Directional signage is a must-have inside a healthcare facility. It can come in many forms- from overhead directional signage, wayfinding directional to secondary directional signage and main directory. The main directory serves as a critical first step in designing informative and creative interior signage solutions. This will lists the services provided, the attending physicians, and location of rooms that offer medical services. Also, you can use suspended systems to direct clients to appropriate locations and laboratories within the healthcare facility. Hospital rooms and laboratories can be properly identified using glass signage that will carry the attending physician’s name and patient name.
Signage can come in many forms and can work in a variety of ways in a healthcare facility. And when you want to include your signage to offer a comprehensive wayfinding system, remember to put your patients and clients at the center. Signage and your wayfinding system should complement your service delivery efforts, and not prevent them from enjoying your medical services.