Date of Award

2024

Document Type

Project

College/School

College of Nursing

Project Mentor

Dr. Patrick Murphy

Abstract

Background: To reach one’s destination in a hospital in a timely manner is the difference between life and death. Navigational tools such as signage, maps and information desks provide guidance; however, visitors, patients and employees often still get lost (Zenka et al., 2021). Mobile navigation technology has been found to be a promising solution for providing a universal wayfinding tool. Objective: The objective of this project is to examine and test what current wayfinding methodologies may be used at the University of Washington and if using a mobile interactive navigational tool would be preferred. Methods: All new employees to the University of Washington were given access to a survey and an interactive indoor blueprint of the University of Washington Northwest campus hospital. Participants were encouraged to fill out a survey before and after using the interactive map to assess the utility and satisfaction with the wayfinding technology. Results: Forty percent of all new employees became lost using traditional wayfinding tools. Most participants preferred signs as their preferred navigational method. A total of 212 participants accessed the interactive map. Implications for practice: Unassisted, independent indoor mobile mapping can provide an added option to traditional wayfinding that could benefit a wider scope of users, particularly those with cognitive, physical or cultural barriers. Future projects could strive for data collection on participants using both traditional and mobile wayfinding tools to investigate user experiences in their wayfinding process.

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