Willems, S; Saelens, D and Heylighen, A (2022) Patient well-being, adaptation of and to indoor conditions, and hospital room design: Two mixed methods case studies. Building Research & Information, 50(1-2), pp. 105-133. ISSN 0961-3218
Abstract
Research indicates that adaptation influences how people experience indoor conditions (ICs), and that the built environment influences both adaptation, via perceived control, and well-being. Their interlinkage is, however, not well understood. Therefore, we investigated how the design of hospital rooms can contribute to patients' well-being by supporting their adaptation of and to ICs via perceived control. Two mixed methods case studies were conducted at hospital wards in Belgium, each concurrently collecting qualitative and quantitative data. These included interviews with 16 (case 1) and 19 (case 2) patients, self-documentation by 8 patients (case 1), sensor measurements of indoor environmental quality indicators (e.g. sound, light, and temperature levels) (cases 1 and 2) and questionnaires among 84 (case 1) and 238 (case 2) patients. Focusing on the built environment’s role in adaptation allows characterizing known adaptation strategies in more detail. When perceiving control over adaptable building characteristics, patients can adapt ICs or adapt to ICs by choice. When not perceiving such control, they may still adapt sensations or their position. Without any perceived control, adapting to ICs is imposed. The built environment can support patients' adaptation by supporting their autonomy and competences. In this way it can foster both patients' eudaimonic as well as their hedonic well-being.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | adaptation; built environment; healing environment; indoor environmental quality; well-being |
| Index terms: | perceived control, questionnaire, well-being, competence, sensation, documentation, strategy, Belgium, interview, built environment, indoor environmental quality, adaptable building, adaptation, case study, mixed method |
| Subjects: | human factors and perception, user focus, mental health and wellbeing, data collection methods, environmental health, behavioral psychology, infrastructure and transport systems, personnel development, professional development, Geography, management |
| Topics: | Sustainability, Information Management, Geographical Context, Research Practice, Health and Safety, Business Strategy, Human Resources, Urban Studies, Design Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here