Article Text
Abstract
Objective This article aims to explore architectural-rich insights derived from users’ experiences within everyday practice in palliative environments and provides a practical framework for healthcare organisations, architects and researchers involved in (re)designing palliative environments for person-centred care.
Methods An ethnographic study involving participatory observation was undertaken to gain insight into the influence of palliative environments on the diverse users’ subjective experiences. This immersive research took place across multiple palliative environments, encompassing a palliative care unit, a day care centre for palliative care and a hospice located in Belgium. Also, informal conversations and photo-elicitation interviews were conducted with residents, family members, healthcare professionals, volunteers and maintenance staff.
Results Analysing the subjective experiences yielded a practical framework of four architectural atmospheres (proximity, support, engagement, comfort) intended to serve as guiding principles for designing palliative environments. To shape these atmospheres, this article elaborates on 17 spatial aspects and aligns them with real-life experiences of users within palliative environments, thereby enriching and contextualising these insights.
Conclusions This study presents a practical framework encompassing atmospheres, spatial aspects and overarching insights. It is augmented by supplemental material featuring real-life user experiences, all directed towards guiding the design of palliative environments in pursuit of person-centred palliative care. This article advocates for a collaborative, interdisciplinary, holistic design approach that acknowledges these considerations’ interconnectedness and considers the users’ multiple perspectives. Ultimately, this approach serves as a means of bridging design intentions and actual experiences encountered by users in their real-life contexts to assist healthcare organisations and architects in creating environments for person-centred palliative care.
- Education and training
- Hospice care
- Hospital care
- Methodological research
- Quality of life
Data availability statement
Data are available upon reasonable request. All data relevant to the study are included in the article or uploaded as supplementary information. Data are available on reasonable request. This dataset is in Dutch, anonymised and available for review on request.
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Data availability statement
Data are available upon reasonable request. All data relevant to the study are included in the article or uploaded as supplementary information. Data are available on reasonable request. This dataset is in Dutch, anonymised and available for review on request.
Footnotes
Contributors AP, JV and IB contributed to the conceptualisation and methodology of the manuscript. The first draft of the manuscript was written by IB and all authors were involved in revising and approving its final version. IB managed the study, provided data and conducted the data analysis. IB is responsible for the overall content as guarantor and accepts full responsibility for the finished work and/or the conduct of the study, had access to the data and controlled the decision to publish.
Funding This study was supported by the Special Research Fund (BOF) of Hasselt University (BOF20OWB01).
Competing interests None declared.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.
Supplemental material This content has been supplied by the author(s). It has not been vetted by BMJ Publishing Group Limited (BMJ) and may not have been peer-reviewed. Any opinions or recommendations discussed are solely those of the author(s) and are not endorsed by BMJ. BMJ disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on the content. Where the content includes any translated material, BMJ does not warrant the accuracy and reliability of the translations (including but not limited to local regulations, clinical guidelines, terminology, drug names and drug dosages), and is not responsible for any error and/or omissions arising from translation and adaptation or otherwise.