Waiting Behaviors And Environmental Factors In The Outpatient Departments For Cancer Care

The tumor is increasing globally while the early diagnosis rate of cancer is low and the treatment cycle is long.The psychological pressure of patients is usually higher than that of patients with other diseases.They are prone to anxiety and silence,and are more sensitive to the environment..When designing a hospital,it is necessary to provide more humane care for tumor patients,including lighting,facilities,and traffic design of the space environment.The treatment of tumor diseases is mostly carried out in the form of outpatient.The waiting space of the outpatient department is a place where patients wait for a long time,with crowded gathering,and it is also the area for taking a rest before entering the clinic.Humanized waiting Spaces help to relieve patients’ anxiety,promote communication and improve the quality of medical services.Guided by environmental psychology and spatial behavior theory,this paper uses evidence-based design research methods for data collection and analysis,explores the influence of the waiting space environment on the waiting behavior and psychological pressure of patients and their families,and proposes strategies for optimizing the waiting space in cancer hospitals.At present,the development level of tumor specialized hospitals in China is different,and the medical supporting system in large cities is more perfect than that in small and medium-sized cities.Based on data accessibility,this paper investigated representative tumor hospitals in different cities,including seven hospitals in Beijing,Shanghai,Hangzhou,Zhengzhou,Wuhan and Anyang.Firstly,a data collection tool for spatial environment,behavior and psychological stress was created based on research review.Secondly conducting field research and collecting data are done in the form of observation tables and questionnaires.Furthermore,in each case hospital,two to six waiting spaces were compared from the four aspects of traffic flow lines,lighting settings,seat layouts,and auxiliary facilities according to the specific conditions,the methods of quantitative(statistical variance comparison)and qualitative(content analysis)Data analysis are carried out,this paper points out the differences in waiting behaviors,feelings,and actual needs of patients and their families in different environments,and summarize the design characteristics of a better environment.From the data analysis results of the seven case hospitals,it can be found that in an environment with reasonable traffic flow,abundant natural light,proper seating layout,and complete auxiliary facilities,people have more communication behaviors in the waiting space,and they feel less pressure.Based on the analysis results and referring to hospital design specifications and research results at home and abroad,this research proposes the following optimization strategies:1)In terms of traffic flow,clear routes should be adopted,horizontal movement lines should be shortened,and the organic of the space should be improved;2)As to lighting settings,it is recommended to enhance natural lighting as much as possible to improve the comfort of the light environment in the waiting area;3)In terms of seat layout,more attention should be paid to the quality of the seats(for example,the use of moderately soft and hard materials),and the seats can be appropriately reduced if necessary,improving sitting comfort;4)Concerning auxiliary facilities,it is recommended to consider both artistic facilities(decoration,painting,etc.)and service facilities(barrier-free,storage,drinking water,etc.).Based on field research and objective data analysis results,this paper proposes an environmental optimization strategy for the waiting space in the outpatient department of a cancer hospital.The research results are patient-centered and suggestions are provided for the optimization and future development of the waiting environment of tumor specialist hospitals from the perspective of design,providing data support for the humanized research of the medical environment,which can be used as a reference for specialists and general hospitals.It has an important theoretical and practical significance.