Communication in healthcare environments: some reflections on space syntax
Keywords:
Communication, Health, Space, Perception, Medical Humanities
Abstract
This paper focuses on the impact that the design and the experience of space in healthcare facilities might have on communication among healthcare professionals. First, we describe the space syntax theory that provides the theoretical and empirical framework to study the layout of space that puts constraints on function realization as well as affords capabilities to understanding and carrying out effective behavior. Then, we review the research on the configurational properties of space in healthcare and hospital facilities, which affect the provision of good healthcare service, with particular attention to communication that emerges as a factor of healthcare service quality. Finally, we argue that the analysis of the perception-action cycle and of communication on the grounds of the spatial layout needs further development and suggest that this work may contribute to the research on Medical Humanities according to a view of radical interdisciplinarity.
References
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Chelkoff, G. (2002), «For an Ecological Approach to Architecture», in First International Workshop on Architectural and Urban Ambient Environment, February 2002, Nantes, pp. 1-12.
Choudhary, R., Bafna, S., Heo, Y., Hendrich, A., Chow, M. (2010), «A Predictive Model for Computing the Influence of Space Layouts on Nurses’ Movement in Hospital Units», in Journal of Building Performance Simulation, 3(3), pp. 171-84.
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Cutting, James E. (1986), Perception with an Eye for Motion, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.
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Gepshtein, S., Snider, J. (2019), «Neuroscience for Architecture: The Evolving Science of Perceptual Meaning», in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, 116(29), pp. 14404-14406.
Gibson, J.J. (1979), The Ecological Approach to Visual Perception, Houghton Mifflin, Boston.
Groopman, J. (2008), Come pensano i dottori, Mondadori, Milano.
Haq, S., Yang, L. (2012), «Space Syntax in Healthcare Facilities Research: A Review», in Health Environments Research & Design Journal, 5(4), pp. 98-117.
Hendrich, A., Chow, M. P., Skierczynski, B. A., Lu, Z. (2008), «A 36-Hospital Time and Motion Study: How Do Medical-Surgical Nurses Spend Their Time?», in The Permanente Journal, 12(3), pp. 25-34.
Hillier, B. (1996), Space is the Machine. A Configurational Theory of Architecture, UCLA, 2007 e-book https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/3881/1/SITM.pdf.
Hillier, B., Hanson, J. (1984), The Social Logic of Space, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Hillier, B., Penn, A., Dalton, N., Chapman, D., Redfern, F. (1995), Graphical knowledge interfaces: the extensive and intensive use of precedent databases in architecture and urban design', in A. Koutamanis, H. Timmermans, I. Vermeulen, eds., Visual Databases in Architecture, Aldershot, Hants.
Honey-Rosés, J., Anguelovski, I., Chireh, V. K. et al. (2020), «The impact of COVID-19 on public space: an early review of the emerging questions – design, perceptions and inequities», Cities & Health, DOI: 10.1080/23748834.2020.1780074
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Levinson, W., Gorawara-Bhat, R. et al. (1999), «Resolving Disagreements in the Patient-Physician Relationship: Tools for Improving Communication in Managed Care», in JAMA, 282(15), p. 1477.
Levinson, W., Pizzo, P.A. (2011), «Patient-Physician Communication: It’s About Time», in JAMA, 305(17), pp. 1802-1803.
Lewin, K. (1936), Principles of Topological Psychology, McGraw Hill, New York - London.
Lu, Y., Ossmann, M. M., Leaf, D. E., Factor, P. H. (2014), «Patient Visibility and ICU Mortality: A Conceptual Replication», in Health Environments Research & Design Journal, 7(2), pp. 92-103.
Lu, Y., Peponis, J., Zimring, C., (2009), Targeted Visibility Analysis in Buildings: Correlating Targeted Visibility Analysis with Distribution of People and Their Interactions within an Intensive Care Unit, in Daniel Koch, Lars Marcus and Jesper Steen, eds., Proceedings of the 7th International Space Syntax Symposium, KTH, Stockholm.
Pachilova, R, Sailer, K. (2020), «Providing care quality by design: a new measure to assess hospital ward layouts», in The Journal of Architecture, 25:2, pp. 186-202, DOI: 10.1080/13602365.2020.1733802.
Peponis, J., Wineman, J., Rashid, M., Kim, H. S., Bafna, S. (1997) «On the description of shape and spatial configuration inside buildings: convex partitions and their local properties», in Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 24, pp. 761-781.
Peponis, J., Wineman, J., Rashid, M., Bafna, S., Kim, H. S. (1998) «Describing plan configuration according to the covisibility of surfaces», in Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 25, pp. 693-708.
Rashid, M., Boyle, D., Crosser, M., (2014), «Network of Spaces and Interaction-Related Behaviors in Adult Intensive Care Units», in Behavioral sciences, 4, pp. 487-510.
Sendler, Richard Neel (1968), Quantitative Evaluation of Inpatient Nursing Unit Designs (unpublished doctoral thesis), Georgia Institute of Technology.
Shah, H. (2020), «Global problems need social science», in Nature, vol. 577, 16 January 2020, 295.
Sturdavant, Madelyne (1960), Comparisons of Intensive Nursing Service in a Circular and a Rectangular Unit, Rochester Methodist Hospital, Chicago: American Hospital Association.
Trites, D., Galbraith, F., Sturdavant, M., Leckwart, J. (1970), «Influence of Nursing-unit Design on the Activities and Subjective Feelings of Nursing Personnel’», in Environment and Behavior, 2, pp. 303-34.
Trzpuc, S. J., Caren, S. M. (2010), «Application of Space Syntax Theory in the Study of Medical-Surgical Nursing Units in Urban Hospitals», in Health Environments Research & Design Journal, 4(1), pp. 34-55.
Cama, R. (2009), Evidence-Based Healthcare Design, Wiley, Hoboken, NJ.
Caporale, C., Zagarella, R.M. (2020), «L’argomentazione medico-paziente: il problema della comunicazione dal punto di vista retorico e bioetico», in Medicina e morale, 69(2), pp. 139-158.
Chelkoff, G. (2002), «For an Ecological Approach to Architecture», in First International Workshop on Architectural and Urban Ambient Environment, February 2002, Nantes, pp. 1-12.
Choudhary, R., Bafna, S., Heo, Y., Hendrich, A., Chow, M. (2010), «A Predictive Model for Computing the Influence of Space Layouts on Nurses’ Movement in Hospital Units», in Journal of Building Performance Simulation, 3(3), pp. 171-84.
Clarke B., Ghiara V., Russo F. (2019), «Time to care: why the humanities and the social sciences belong in the science of health», in BMJ Open; 9:e030286, doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-030286.
Corbellini, G., Pani, L. (2017), Prescrivere valore. Storia e scienza dei farmaci che fanno vivere più a lungo e meglio, Edra, Milano.
Cutting, James E. (1986), Perception with an Eye for Motion, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.
Di Paolo, M., Gori, F., Papi, L. et al. (2019), «A review and analysis of new Italian law 219/2017: ‘provisions for informed consent and advance directives treatment’», in BMC Med Ethics, 20, 17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12910-019-0353-2.
Gepshtein, S., Snider, J. (2019), «Neuroscience for Architecture: The Evolving Science of Perceptual Meaning», in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, 116(29), pp. 14404-14406.
Gibson, J.J. (1979), The Ecological Approach to Visual Perception, Houghton Mifflin, Boston.
Groopman, J. (2008), Come pensano i dottori, Mondadori, Milano.
Haq, S., Yang, L. (2012), «Space Syntax in Healthcare Facilities Research: A Review», in Health Environments Research & Design Journal, 5(4), pp. 98-117.
Hendrich, A., Chow, M. P., Skierczynski, B. A., Lu, Z. (2008), «A 36-Hospital Time and Motion Study: How Do Medical-Surgical Nurses Spend Their Time?», in The Permanente Journal, 12(3), pp. 25-34.
Hillier, B. (1996), Space is the Machine. A Configurational Theory of Architecture, UCLA, 2007 e-book https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/3881/1/SITM.pdf.
Hillier, B., Hanson, J. (1984), The Social Logic of Space, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Hillier, B., Penn, A., Dalton, N., Chapman, D., Redfern, F. (1995), Graphical knowledge interfaces: the extensive and intensive use of precedent databases in architecture and urban design', in A. Koutamanis, H. Timmermans, I. Vermeulen, eds., Visual Databases in Architecture, Aldershot, Hants.
Honey-Rosés, J., Anguelovski, I., Chireh, V. K. et al. (2020), «The impact of COVID-19 on public space: an early review of the emerging questions – design, perceptions and inequities», Cities & Health, DOI: 10.1080/23748834.2020.1780074
Levinson, W., Roter, D.L. et al. (1997), «Physician-Patient Communication: The Relationship With Malpractice Claims Among Primary Care Physicians and Surgeons», in JAMA, 277(7), pp. 553-559.
Levinson, W., Gorawara-Bhat, R. et al. (1999), «Resolving Disagreements in the Patient-Physician Relationship: Tools for Improving Communication in Managed Care», in JAMA, 282(15), p. 1477.
Levinson, W., Pizzo, P.A. (2011), «Patient-Physician Communication: It’s About Time», in JAMA, 305(17), pp. 1802-1803.
Lewin, K. (1936), Principles of Topological Psychology, McGraw Hill, New York - London.
Lu, Y., Ossmann, M. M., Leaf, D. E., Factor, P. H. (2014), «Patient Visibility and ICU Mortality: A Conceptual Replication», in Health Environments Research & Design Journal, 7(2), pp. 92-103.
Lu, Y., Peponis, J., Zimring, C., (2009), Targeted Visibility Analysis in Buildings: Correlating Targeted Visibility Analysis with Distribution of People and Their Interactions within an Intensive Care Unit, in Daniel Koch, Lars Marcus and Jesper Steen, eds., Proceedings of the 7th International Space Syntax Symposium, KTH, Stockholm.
Pachilova, R, Sailer, K. (2020), «Providing care quality by design: a new measure to assess hospital ward layouts», in The Journal of Architecture, 25:2, pp. 186-202, DOI: 10.1080/13602365.2020.1733802.
Peponis, J., Wineman, J., Rashid, M., Kim, H. S., Bafna, S. (1997) «On the description of shape and spatial configuration inside buildings: convex partitions and their local properties», in Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 24, pp. 761-781.
Peponis, J., Wineman, J., Rashid, M., Bafna, S., Kim, H. S. (1998) «Describing plan configuration according to the covisibility of surfaces», in Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 25, pp. 693-708.
Rashid, M., Boyle, D., Crosser, M., (2014), «Network of Spaces and Interaction-Related Behaviors in Adult Intensive Care Units», in Behavioral sciences, 4, pp. 487-510.
Sendler, Richard Neel (1968), Quantitative Evaluation of Inpatient Nursing Unit Designs (unpublished doctoral thesis), Georgia Institute of Technology.
Shah, H. (2020), «Global problems need social science», in Nature, vol. 577, 16 January 2020, 295.
Sturdavant, Madelyne (1960), Comparisons of Intensive Nursing Service in a Circular and a Rectangular Unit, Rochester Methodist Hospital, Chicago: American Hospital Association.
Trites, D., Galbraith, F., Sturdavant, M., Leckwart, J. (1970), «Influence of Nursing-unit Design on the Activities and Subjective Feelings of Nursing Personnel’», in Environment and Behavior, 2, pp. 303-34.
Trzpuc, S. J., Caren, S. M. (2010), «Application of Space Syntax Theory in the Study of Medical-Surgical Nursing Units in Urban Hospitals», in Health Environments Research & Design Journal, 4(1), pp. 34-55.
Published
2021-07-20
How to Cite
Calì, C. and Zagarella, R. M. (2021) “Communication in healthcare environments: some reflections on space syntax”, Rivista Italiana di Filosofia del Linguaggio, 15(1). doi: 10.4396/20210608.
Section
Articles
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