WIN Program

Wayfinding Strategy for Westmead Hospital

Sydney West Area Health Service will introduce a new wayfinding strategy for Westmead Hospital as part of the WIN Program redevelopment.

The strategy will include a redesign of the main entrance, creation of separate entrances for outpatient clinics and day procedure patients, new signage, changes to the building naming system and other improvements in the circulation areas.

"A hospital is probably the most complex environment that most people will ever have to navigate," said Sydney West Area Health Service Chief Executive, Professor Steven Boyages.

"They may already be upset or anxious about their health, or that of a friend or family member, and they often look at information without actually seeing it."

Research indicates that, in most settings, people do not pay enough attention to the information available. They may be too embarrassed to ask for directions or assistance, and even when they do, they do not retain that information for very long.

"In an institution like a hospital, this can add to an already stressful situation. It can also give the impression that the facility doesn't care about its users, so a plan to help people get around more easily is critically important," Professor Boyages said.

"People should only need to go as far into the hospital as is absolutely necessary and related services should be located near each other."

Some major changes are already being made as part of the WIN Program redevelopment.

For instance, clinic areas and the day surgery centre are now located close to a discrete entrance, so patients go straight into the clinic, rather than having to move through the middle of the hospital. Similarly, the new Westmead Cancer Centre will also have its own entrance.

People visiting friends or family in the wards will move further into the hospital, but use a different path so there is less congestion and confusion in the main circulation areas.

And 'one-stop shops' like the new Westmead Cancer Centre will have related services, like radiation oncology, pharmacy, day clinics, day stay chemotherapy and the Breast Centre, in one central location.

"Creating one-stop shops and relocating some departments will also provide for easier travel through the hospital," said Professor Boyages.

"One of the busiest areas of the hospital, women's health and newborn care, will move closer to the main entrance, which is also being upgraded. The move means women and their families will find it much easier to find those frequently used services."

For other areas of the hospital, including external spaces and car parks, planners and designers will use a range of other strategies, including:

New outdoor and parking signs
Improving internal signs, especially at decision points in the circulation system
New 'You are here'maps
More use of colour to define areas and lead people through circulation zone
Colour coding buildings, levels and wards, with improve numbering, naming, lighting and other information
More pictograms, or symbols, to reduce the need for words and text in other languages
Creation of distinctive entry points
Creation of major 'anchor points', memorable landmarks and visual clues to act as memory prompts e.g. distinctive colours and lighting, special floor treatments or other visual identifiers.

"A wayfinding system is more than a collection of signs. It's a way of ordering the environment and making the hospital experience more pleasant for people," said Professor Boyages.