Blog

Wayfinding often hampered by med speak

Healthcare Design magazine blog examines how word choice, acronyms can confuse hospital visitors


A blog by Healthcare Design magazine Editor-in-Chief Kristin Zeit recently discussed designer Kate Keating's wayfinding research. Keating's two-year study presented patients, visitors and other potential users with terminology currently used at a hospital in signage and other communications, and tested how well the terms were understood. According to the blog, only four out of 23 acronyms tested were correctly identified half the time or better. One hundred percent of those tested said they prefer layman’s terminology on signage over technical medical names.

Read the blog.

 

 



April 9, 2014


Topic Area: Interior Design


Recent Posts

The Fatal Flaws in Active Shooter Response in Healthcare Facilities

The most effective solutions to workplace violence are sophisticated emergency response planning and master level training for all employees.


Utah Hospital Outage Highlights Backup Power and Resiliency Challenges

The hospital went without power for nearly two hours.


Ground Broken on New North Dakota State Hospital

The 300,000-square-foot facility in Jamestown will provide 140 beds in a modern, trauma-informed care environment.


Form Your Pit Crew: Key Takeaways From the 2025 Healthcare Innovations Conference

The Healthcare Innovations Conference brought together healthcare facility managers from across the country to collaborate on industry issues.


Glens Falls Hospital Caught Up in Oracle Health Data Breach

As of November 2, 2024, Glens Falls Hospital no longer uses Oracle Health/Cerner as its electronic health record vendor.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.