Avaliação do sistema de sinalização e fluxos do Instituto Fernandes Figueira/Fiocruz: recomendações para o wayfinding design em hospitais pediátricos

Abstract

Spatial orientation in hospitals is a challenge due to the complexity of the environment and the need for accessibility. In this sense, the design of wayfinding systems, considering their graphic, tactile and audible communication artifacts, is therefore a strategic area, since the lack of efficient spatial orientation systems in hospitals can cause disorientation, stress and delays in care. In this sense, the research aimed to design and evaluate recommendations for designers and architects to use in improving wayfinding projects in healthcare environments, with a pediatric focus. Thus, it was identified problems in signage and proposed solutions to optimize the user experience based on theories of cognition and informational behavior in spatial orientation, as well as characterizing the flow of information in pediatric hospitals. The research was divided into three parts: application of the Wayfinding Information Behavior (WIB) method in a children's hospital; proposal of recommendations for the design of wayfinding systems in these hospitals; and evaluation of the proposed recommendations. In applying the WIB method, the system was studied using documentary study techniques, interviews with key informants and non-participatory observation and semi-structured episodic interviews. Three sample groups were defined: managers and key informants, parents and guardians of patients, and employees of the Fernandes Figueira Institute hospital (IFF/Fiocruz). The qualitative analysis of the data allowed it to be organized into three categories: searching for a way to find the destination, the importance of signposting and users' anxiety and stress. Recommendations were then proposed for each category and then an evaluation of each recommendation was carried out with experts. The study showed that the existing signage is an adaptation of general hospital models, with no specific planning for wayfinding. As final considerations, the need for specific guidelines for pediatric hospital wayfinding is reinforced, highlighting the importance of accessible and well-planned signage. The proposed recommendations are intended to help optimize orientation and navigation in hospitals and improve the user experience.