West Park Research Article Among Top 10
West Park Research Article Among Top 10
Critical research conducted at West Park was highlighted at the International Healthcare Design conference held in Texas last fall.
An article titled “Hospital outdoor spaces: User experience and implications for design” was featured as part of the conference’s “Research Matters: Top 10 Picks for the Year” session. It was selected among all published international healthcare design articles from the past year.
“Needless to say, I was thrilled,” says Martha Harvey, Director of Operational Readiness and one of the lead authors in the research project. “It is important to study the effects of the built environment, both inside and out. Research in healthcare design is growing, however there is very little information on the impact of outdoor spaces on the patient experience.
The study involved taking a closer look at the effects nature can have on the patient experience. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 74 individuals (patients, families and staff) who described their experiences with the hospital’s outdoor spaces. Three themes were then identified:
- Outdoor space benefits healing by helping patients focus on life beyond their illness
- Design of healthcare spaces facilitates patients’ access to outdoor space to benefit healing
- Programming in the outdoor space promotes healing and recovery
The results have been vital to informing the architectural design of the new 730,000 square hospital and its outdoor space.
Once the new hospital building opens later this year, work will begin on putting the “park” back in West Park. The existing hospital plus the Ruddy and Gage buildings will be decommissioned and the grounds developed to include multi-use therapy spaces, walking trails, quiet gardens and gathering spaces –bringing the findings of this study to life.
The research team included Harvey; Lee Verweel, Manager, Research and Innovation; Jan Walker, Vice-President, Strategy, Innovation and CIO; Victrine Tseung, former Project Coordinator, Campus Development; and Tim Pauley, former Manager, Research and Innovation.
This story originally appeared in the Winter 2023 issue of the Giving Lives Back newsletter. Click here to read the full issue.
