A community healthcare clinic in Baltimore: healing environment, design criteria, and assessment metrics
ISSN: 2631-6862
Article publication date: 26 September 2022
Issue publication date: 21 November 2023
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to identify quick, effective and affordable architectural design solutions to improve the health of patients, visitors and staff, in an underfunded community healthcare center (CHC) in Baltimore.
Design/methodology/approach
Both qualitative (individual and Focus group interviews) and quantitative methods (space syntax analysis and questionnaire survey) are used to assess the healing environment. The questionnaires cover interior and exterior environment related questions.
Findings
The questionnaire identifies three issues related to wayfinding, interior design, and access to natural light. The findings demonstrate that the waiting area, exam room and laboratory need to be upgraded. Incorporation of some other interior components including, wall art, plants, music, signage are also suggested by the respondents.
Originality/value
Very few studies in the USA have been done to understand the effects of architectural design to create a healing environment on the community scale.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to the staff and patients at Shepherd’s Clinic for their generous participation in our surveys and focus group interviews and providing access to the clinic.
Funding: Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number UL1GM118973. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
Citation
Gharipour, M., Tyne, I.A., Afsary, S., Hemme, N. and Trout, A.L. (2023), "A community healthcare clinic in Baltimore: healing environment, design criteria, and assessment metrics", Archnet-IJAR, Vol. 17 No. 4, pp. 609-627. https://doi.org/10.1108/ARCH-02-2022-0051
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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