Evaluating the impact of human assistance in wayfinding experience of outpatient visitors in a tertiary healthcare centre
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20262287Keywords:
Assistance, Hospitals, Navigation, Outpatients, Signage, Stress, WayfindingAbstract
Background: Effective wayfinding is essential in large healthcare facilities, where complex layouts, crowded environments, and frequent structural changes often create confusion for first-time visitors. Despite the availability of signage and digital tools, many patients still struggle to navigate outpatient departments efficiently. This study aimed to compare wayfinding experiences among first-time outpatient visitors who received human assistance with those who navigated without such support in a tertiary care teaching hospital.
Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted across outpatient departments of Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal. A total of 336 first-time visitors were recruited through consecutive sampling. Data were collected using a validated semi-structured questionnaire administered during exit interviews. Participants were categorized based on whether they received human assistance while finding their destination. Descriptive statistics and comparative analyses were performed, followed by multivariate regression to identify factors associated with seeking human assistance.
Results: Among all participants, 69.6 percent relied on human assistance for navigation. Difficulty locating signage, language barriers, and confusion were the most common challenges reported. Participants who took longer than ten minutes to reach their destination were significantly more likely to seek help. Higher educational attainment showed a strong association with requesting assistance, while labourers were less likely to do so compared to salaried individuals. Stress levels also influenced help-seeking behaviour.
Conclusions: The study highlighted the continued importance of human navigators in improving wayfinding in busy hospital settings. Although signage and maps are useful, they often fall short in dynamic environments. Integrating trained personnel into wayfinding systems may enhance patient experience, reduce delays, and support smoother outpatient flow.
Metrics
References
Jamshidi S, Pati D. A narrative review of theories of wayfinding within the interior environment. HERD. 2021;14(1):290-303. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1937586720932276
Sahoo B, Pillai JSK, Md S, Sahoo MC. Implementation of wayfinding signage in public hospitals and its evaluation towards quality improvement. Cureus. 2024;16(7):e65435. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.65435
Lee E, Daugherty J, Selga J, Schmidt U. Enhancing patients’ wayfinding and visitation experience improves quality of care. J Perianesth Nurs. 2020;35(3):250-4. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jopan.2019.11.003
Dalton RC, Hölscher C, Montello DR. Wayfinding as a Social Activity. Front Psychol. 2019;10:142. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00142
Hughes N, Pinchin J, Brown M, Shaw D. Navigating in large hospitals. In: 2015 International Conference on Indoor Positioning and Indoor Navigation (IPIN). IEEE; 2015:1-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/IPIN.2015.7346758
Suchá LZ, Holubec Birtusová M, Godišková G. Understanding a wayfinding challenges in hospitals: insights from a representative survey. Design for Health. 2025;1-17. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/24735132.2025.2570563
Wallerstein N, Duran B. Community-based participatory research contributions to intervention research: the intersection of science and practice to improve health equity. Am J Public Health. 2010;100(Suppl 1):S40-6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2009.184036
Wavetec. How to Overcome Wayfinding Challenges in Healthcare Facilities. Available from: https://www.wavetec.com/blog/how-to-overcome-wayfinding-challenges-in-healthcare/. Accessed on 21 October 2025.
Passini R. Wayfinding in architecture. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold; 1984:250.
Carpman JR, Grant MA. Design that cares: planning health facilities for patients and visitors. John Wiley and Sons; 2016:504.
Navigation at AIIMS: App to make it easier. Delhi News- The Times of India. Available from: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/navigation-at-aiims-app-to-make-it-easier/articleshow/123874074.cms. Accessed on 20 October 2025.
To make hospital visits smoother, PGI Chandigarh to launch smart app for crowd management and hospital navigation. The Indian Express. 2025. Available from: https://indianexpress.com/article/ cities/chandigarh/to-make-hospital-visits-smoother-pgi-chandigarh-to-launch-smart-app-for-crowd-management-and-hospital-navigation-10072734/. Accessed on 27 October 2025.
Kalantari S, Tripathi V, Rounds JD, Mostafavi A, Snell R, Cruz-Garza JG. Evaluating wayfinding designs in healthcare settings through EEG data and virtual response testing. BioRxiv. 2021:2021-02. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.02.10.430638
Devlin AS. Wayfinding in healthcare facilities: contributions from environmental psychology. Behav Sci. 2014;4(4):423-36. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/bs4040423
Mueller N. The Hidden Cost of Bad Wayfinding. BrandActive. 2025. Available from: https://brandactive.com/the-hidden-cost-of-bad-wayfinding/. Accessed on 27 October 2025.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
