Impact of Landmarks on Route Direction in Hospital Wayfinding at University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital in Kwara State, Nigeria

Abstract

Wayfindng is the task of navigating unfamiliar environment from an origin, for a purpose, with the goal to reach a desired destination. Local landmarks which serve as environmental cues during hospital wayfinding are usually used on the route to reduce navigational errors and facilitate improved wayfinding. This research examines the impact of landmarks on route direction for successful hospital wayfinding. This was achieved using a case study approach with survey questionnaire, interview and observation as instruments. The study was carried out at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Kwara State of Nigeria. Photographs were also taken in the Out-patients Departments (GOPD). A sample size of 86 respondents was used for the survey questionnaire, and 16 were interviewed in the study. The main findings showed that landmark information is important in hospital wayfinding on route direction with particular significance of local landmarks along the route that support orientation. This implies that local landmarks should be used at the appropriate decision points along the navigation path to improve route direction in hospital wayfinding design. This research contributes to the understanding on the use of landmarks on route direction in hospital wayfinding. The study recommends that local landmarks should be designed and placed at a clear distance before the decision point where user's need to use the landmark information for wayfinding.