TY - JOUR
T1 - Internet of Things-Based Wayfinding for Hospital Visitors
T2 - A Digital Solution for Complex Health Care Infrastructures
AU - Salins, Prajwal L.
AU - Anandan, Ganesh
AU - Ananda, Basilio Duke
AU - Reshmi, Bhageerathy
AU - Jathanna, Roshan David
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 The Authors
PY - 2025/12
Y1 - 2025/12
N2 - Objective: To design, implement, and evaluate a digital indoor wayfinding web application (KH Wayfinder) for a tertiary care hospital, assessing its effects on spatial orientation and navigation-related stress among visitors. Participants and Methods: A 3-phase study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital in coastal Karnataka, India, from April 1, 2023, through July 31, 2024. Phase 1 involved a cross-sectional survey (n=41) to assess user attitudes toward digital wayfinding. In phase 2, a browser-based application was developed using HyperText Markup Language, JavaScript, cascading style sheets, and Leaflet.js, covering 5 hospital floors with 52 destination points and 758 routes. Phase 3 consisted of usability testing with 54 participants using a validated questionnaire to assess performance, satisfaction, and ease of use. Results: The majority of users 33 (80.5%) expressed willingness to use a digital Wayfinder. Postimplementation results showed that 46 (85.2%) found the tool easy to use, 47 (87%) reported a reduction in navigation time, and 45 (83.3%) experienced reduced psychological stress. Additionally, 51 (94.4%) preferred the digital system over traditional signage, and 54 (100%) would recommend it to others. Conclusion: KH Wayfinder demonstrated high usability, effectiveness, and user satisfaction as a low-cost digital navigation solution. Its browser-based architecture and open-source design make it scalable and adaptable for broader use in smart hospital environments. Future enhancements may include real-time positioning, multilingual support, and accessibility features.
AB - Objective: To design, implement, and evaluate a digital indoor wayfinding web application (KH Wayfinder) for a tertiary care hospital, assessing its effects on spatial orientation and navigation-related stress among visitors. Participants and Methods: A 3-phase study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital in coastal Karnataka, India, from April 1, 2023, through July 31, 2024. Phase 1 involved a cross-sectional survey (n=41) to assess user attitudes toward digital wayfinding. In phase 2, a browser-based application was developed using HyperText Markup Language, JavaScript, cascading style sheets, and Leaflet.js, covering 5 hospital floors with 52 destination points and 758 routes. Phase 3 consisted of usability testing with 54 participants using a validated questionnaire to assess performance, satisfaction, and ease of use. Results: The majority of users 33 (80.5%) expressed willingness to use a digital Wayfinder. Postimplementation results showed that 46 (85.2%) found the tool easy to use, 47 (87%) reported a reduction in navigation time, and 45 (83.3%) experienced reduced psychological stress. Additionally, 51 (94.4%) preferred the digital system over traditional signage, and 54 (100%) would recommend it to others. Conclusion: KH Wayfinder demonstrated high usability, effectiveness, and user satisfaction as a low-cost digital navigation solution. Its browser-based architecture and open-source design make it scalable and adaptable for broader use in smart hospital environments. Future enhancements may include real-time positioning, multilingual support, and accessibility features.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105020088100
UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=105020088100&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.mcpdig.2025.100293
DO - 10.1016/j.mcpdig.2025.100293
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:105020088100
SN - 2949-7612
VL - 3
JO - Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Digital Health
JF - Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Digital Health
IS - 4
M1 - 100293
ER -