Michalec, Sarah The Built Environment in Cancer Treatment Facilities: Anxiety & the Patient Experience. 2017. Radford University, Thesis. Radford University Scholars' Repository.
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Abstract
In 2016, more than one million people were diagnosed with cancer and 14 million people died in the United States. There is no doubt that cancer is a traumatic experience. Using design thinking, the purpose of this study was to determine if the built environment in cancer-care facilities influences anxiety in patients, and to generate solutions to reduce stress. Eight stakeholders, including cancer survivors, patients, caregivers, and staff, participated in three workshops generating ideas for oncology units. In workshop one, participants identified issues through journaling and experience diagramming that caused anxiety, including amount of travel within the facility, small uncomfortable waiting rooms, smells, and institutional spaces. Using prioritizing strategies, participants concluded with, “How can we optimize patients’ time and movements within a facility?” This question informed subsequent workshops where participants brainstormed and prototyped ideas. The final solution optimized patient time and movement through the creation of individualized Patient Treatment Pods (PTP) that provided privacy, comfort, and minimal travel within facilities. Participants clustered the PTPs around a restroom, patient lounge, nurse’s station, and nutrition station. Utilizing participants’ personal experiences along with design thinking led to an effective prototype that creates a cancer treatment facility to better suit patient needs while reducing anxiety.
| Item Type: | Thesis |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | R Medicine > R Medicine (General) |
| Divisions: | Radford University > College of Visual and Performing Arts > Department of Design |
| Date Deposited: | 19 Sep 2017 14:26 |
| Last Modified: | 20 Apr 2023 19:25 |
| URI: | http://wagner.radford.edu/id/eprint/296 |
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