Designing for Wellbeing - v.1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Designing for Wellbeing: An evaluation of the influence interior finishes have on individuals’ wellbeing in a healthcare environment.
IRAS ID
242129
Contact name
Amy Wolfe
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
London South Bank University
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 1 months, 0 days
Research summary
The National Health Service (NHS) is facing unprecedented clinical and economic challenges, which must be tackled to facilitate change and improve the quality of care. The NHS healthcare estate, has the potential to positively affect patient experience and thus contribute to delivering the change required. Specifically, it has the ability to act as a mechanism for supporting both the psychological and physiological needs of patients; which in turn can influence their overall wellbeing. Consequently, these factors are acting as a driver for change and are fuelling the debate as to how it is best to design, build and maintain healthcare environments.
The current healthcare climate, coupled with literary research and empirical evidence, has revealed that there is a need to establish to what extent individuals’ wellbeing can be influenced, when opportunities and resources are limited. Therefore, the study proposes to evaluate the impact associated with altering only interior finishes, namely those applied to floors and walls, within a defined healthcare environment. These architectural elements have been identified as those which are normally transformed, irrespective of a project’s complexity or value. Furthermore, they are often the only elements which are improved in small-scale refurbishments. Accordingly, the aim is to determine whether a physical intervention of this kind, can positively influence individuals’ experience of the healthcare environment and thus their own sense of personal wellbeing.
The study will be conducted at St Thomas’ Hospital, an acute hospital setting in central London, which forms part of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust (GSTT). The study design will adopt a mixed methodology approach, which will involve both quantitative and qualitative analysis. The participants will be adult inpatients, who have the capacity to consent and who wish to voluntarily participate in the study. Thus, NHS ethical approval is sought for recruiting 100 participants, who will be administered with a multiple-choice questionnaire to complete. Once 50 participants have participated, a physical intervention in the form of a small-scale refurbishment will be undertaken; in the defined healthcare environment in which the questionnaires have been completed. Subsequent to the refurbishment, the questionnaire will be administered again to a further 50 participants, for them to participate in the same manner and in the same defined healthcare environment.
The data collected and analysis thereof, will be used to make recommendations for practice by developing evidence-based ‘Designing for Wellbeing’ Guidelines. It is envisaged that these will assist staff with adopting a holistic approach, to the selection of finishes for floors and walls. The goal being that the design schemes which are created as a consequence, will produce healthcare environments which support and enhance patient and staff wellbeing.
REC name
West Midlands - Black Country Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/WM/0084
Date of REC Opinion
16 Apr 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion