Issues and Enhancement Strategies for the Physical Environment in Rehabilitation Medicine Unit Workspaces
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Abstract
This study aims to investigate the physical environment of rehabilitation medicine units and propose strategies for enhancing environments that promote the well-being of medical staff. The study employed three methods for data collection: a physical environment survey, a pairwise comparison questionnaire, and in-depth individual interviews with medical staff from three service areas: the treatment room (5 participants), outpatient department (10 participants), and inpatient department (10 participants). The findings highlight obstacles to medical staff’s well-being, such as the lack of private spaces for both work and relaxation. Analysis using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) revealed that privacy during work was ranked the highest priority among medical personnel (0.45, 0.36, and 0.34), followed by access to nature and interior design factors. The in-depth interviews were analyzed using content analysis, resulting in three main themes: (1) problems from existing environmental conditions, (2) space management, and (3) equipment and facility management. The study proposes four design recommendations for rehabilitation medicine units: ensuring privacy, incorporating relaxation-enhancing elements, optimizing spatial and equipment arrangements to support workflow, and addressing structural issues within the building. The comprehensive case study, along with its interconnected data collection methodology, strongly illustrates a clear alignment between the identified factors and existing research. This compelling evidence suggests that these findings hold significant relevance for the design of similar facilities.
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