A study on patients’ perception of signage system in a tertiary care teaching hospital

Objective: Navigating hospital environments presents a significant challenge for patients, visitors, and staff, exacerbated by inherent stress of healthcare settings.Beyond easing navigation in complex hospital layouts and instilling confidence, signage system embodies professionalism and care, contributing to brand identity and patient satisfaction.Since hospitals must accommodate an increasingly diverse population, it is critical that signage be designed to be effective and universally comprehensible.The aim of the study was to examine patients' perceptions of signage systems in a tertiary care teaching hospital, aiming to identify the areas for improvement and enhance overall patient satisfaction.Methods: The cross-sectional study conducted at Government General Hospital, Kakinada from January-March 2024, surveyed 970 patients visiting the outpatient department, using a structured questionnaire.It assessed satisfaction with hospital signage using a Likert scale.Exclusions applied to Psychiatry, Pediatrics, and Emergency departments.Data was analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS version 26.0.Results: Patient responses underscore hospital signage's critical role in effectiveness, reliability, and impact.Wellinformed patients express higher satisfaction, emphasizing signage's informational role.Strategic placement earns high satisfaction, though reliability concerns exist.Wayfinding effectiveness is moderate.Visibility and readability are crucial, with local language inclusion positively perceived, but clarity enhancements are needed for service awareness. Conclusion:This study revealed moderate patient satisfaction with hospital signage, with higher satisfaction among literate patients, young patients and regular visitors.Significant correlations were noted for literacy, regular visitors, and ease of navigation.Improvements in visibility and readability are needed.The insights from this study will be used by Hospital Administration department to enhance the signages in the hospital.