Presentation
How does the physical environment influence behaviors of parents/caregivers in a pediatric waiting space? Findings from an environment-behavior study in a pediatric hospital in New Delhi, India
SessionENV1: Environmental Design
DescriptionPediatric healthcare environments in India are often overcrowded and noisy, creating stress not only for children (patients) but also for parents and/or caregivers. Since parental behaviour influences children’s healthcare experiences, understanding these human-environment interactions is important for the evidence-based healthcare design. An environment-behaviour study was conducted in the waiting area of the Out-Patient Department (OPD) of a public-funded tertiary-care pediatric hospital in New Delhi, India. Using non-participant observation, 56 hours of data were collected over four months during OPD working hours. Parents’ and/or caregivers’ behaviours, interactions, and responses to the physical environment were documented through field notes and analysed using a coding strategy. Findings show that parents and/or caregivers play an important role in comforting and distracting children during stressful healthcare experiences. However, overcrowding, unfamiliar layouts, inadequate seating, lack of storage space, and the absence of breastfeeding or diaper-changing facilities increased anxiety and discomfort. Most parents and/or caregivers also struggled with uncertainty regarding consultation timings and navigation within the hospital. The study highlights the need for more family-friendly pediatric healthcare environments that support both children and their parents and/or caregivers, contributing to evidence-based design approaches for empathetic healthcare settings.
Event Type
Lecture
TimeTuesday, October 20th1:50pm - 2:10pm PDT
Location
Similar Presentations