Directiva administrativa que regula la identificación y señalización de los establecimientos de salud en el ámbito del Ministerio de Salud / Administrative directive that regulates the identification and signaling of health facilities within the scope of the Ministry of Health

La directiva está estructurada de manera jerárquica basándose en la funcionalidad de cada señalización, desde la identificación del establecimiento de salud, de cada uno de sus edificios y sus unidades funcionales, así como de las rutas principales y secundarias que las conectan, las señales orientadoras de ubicación a través de mapas y directorios, proporcionando información crucial, regulando comportamientos e identificando los servicios y ambientes en forma automática.

Assessing the physical activity environment in Mexican healthcare settings.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the informational, educational and instrumental environments among Mexican healthcare settings for their potential to promote physical activity (PA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Environmental Physical Activity Assessment Tool for Healthcare Settings (EPATHS) was developed to assess the PA environments of 40 clinics/hospitals representing the three Mexican healthcare systems in Guadalajara. The EPATHS assessed the presence and quality of PA enhancing features in the informational (e.g. signage), educational (e.g. pamphlets), and instrumental (e.g. stairs) environments of included clinics/hospitals. RESULTS: 28 (70%) clinics/hospitals had more than one floor with stairs; 60% of these had elevators. Nearly 90% of stairs were visible, accessible and clean compared to fewer than 30% of elevators. Outdoor spaces were observed in just over half (55%) of clinics/hospitals, and most (70%) were of good quality. Only 25% clinics/hospitals had educational PA materials. CONCLUSIONS: The PA instrumental environment of Mexican healthcare settings is encouraging. The informational and educational environments could improve.

Assessing the physical activity environment in Mexican healthcare settings / Evaluación del entorno de actividad física en el sector salud

Objective. To assess the informational, educational and instrumental environments among Mexican healthcare settings for their potential to promote physical activity (PA). Materials and methods. The Environmental Physical Activity Assessment Tool for Healthcare Settings (EPATHS) was developed to assess the PA environments of 40 clinics/hospitals representing the three Mexican healthcare systems in Guadalajara. The EPATHS assessed the presence and quality of PA enhancing features in the informational (e.g. signage), educational (e.g. pamphlets), and instrumental (e.g. stairs) environments of included clinics/hospitals. Results. 28 (70%) clinics/hospitals had more than one floor with stairs; 60% of these had elevators. Nearly 90% of stairs were visible, accessible and clean compared to fewer than 30% of elevators. Outdoor spaces were observed in just over half (55%) of clinics/hospitals, and most (70%) were of good quality. Only 25% clinics/hospitals had educational PA materials. Conclusions. The PA instrumental environment of Mexican healthcare settings is encouraging. The informational and educational environments could improve.

Objetivo. Evaluar el entorno informacional, educacional e instrumental de clínicas/hospitales en México y determinar su potencial para promover la actividad física (AF). Material y métodos. Se desarrolló una herramienta (Environmental physical activity assessment tool for healthcare settings [EPATHS]) para evaluar los entornos de AF en 40 clínicas/hospitales de Guadalajara afiliados a los tres sistemas de salud de México. Con el EPATHS se evaluó la presencia y calidad del entorno informacional (pe.: letreros), educacional (ep.: panfletos) e instrumental (pe.: escaleras). Resultados. Del total de clínicas/hospitales incluidos, 28 (70%) tuvieron más de un piso y escaleras; de éstos, 60% tuvo elevadores. Cerca de 90% de las escaleras eran visibles, accesibles y limpias, lo que contrasta con menos de 30% para los elevadores. En 55% de las clínicas/hospitales se observaron áreas verdes, la mayoría de éstas (80%) de buena calidad. En sólo 25% de las clínicas/hospitales se observaron materiales educativos sobre AF. Conclusiones. El entorno instrumental en clínicas/hospitales mexicanos es alentador. Los entornos informativos y educativos podrían mejorar.

Percepción de la señalización y orientación espacial de los usuarios de tres complejos hospitalarios de Santiago, Chile / A survey about client orientation and wayfinding in Chilean hospitals

Background: Sense of orientation in hospitals can be tricky considering the large extension of buildings and the inadequate signage. Aim: To report some of the findings of a larger research project on wayfinding and patient navigation in Chilean hospitals. Material and Methods: Five hundred nine hospital users waiting for attention in three hospitals were contacted and asked to answer a survey that lasted 10 minutes, about wayfinding and sense of orientation within the hospital. Results: Users declared to have a good opinion of existing signage in the three hospitals analyzed as well as their architectural organization in terms of their capacity to orient people. However, the vast majority of users asked for directions to navigate within the hospital to staff and medical personnel. Conclusions: Patient navigation problems are imposing a great “hidden” cost to hospitals management due to missed appointments.

[A survey about client orientation and wayfinding in Chilean hospitals]. / Percepción de la señalización y orientación espacial de los usuarios de tres complejos hospitalarios de Santiago, Chile.

BACKGROUND: Sense of orientation in hospitals can be tricky considering the large extension of buildings and the inadequate signage. AIM: To report some of the findings of a larger research project on wayfinding and patient navigation in Chilean hospitals. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Five hundred nine hospital users waiting for attention in three hospitals were contacted and asked to answer a survey that lasted 10 minutes, about wayfinding and sense of orientation within the hospital. RESULTS: Users declared to have a good opinion of existing signage in the three hospitals analyzed as well as their architectural organization in terms of their capacity to orient people. However, the vast majority of users asked for directions to navigate within the hospital to staff and medical personnel. CONCLUSIONS: Patient navigation problems are imposing a great "hidden" cost to hospitals management due to missed appointments.

Ergonomics and design: traffic sign and street name sign.

This work proposes a design methodology using ergonomics and anthropometry concepts applied to traffic sign and street name sign projects. Initially, a literature revision on cognitive ergonomics and anthropometry is performed. Several authors and their design methodologies are analyzed and the aspects to be considered in projects of traffic and street name signs are selected and other specific aspects are proposed for the design methodology. A case study of the signs of "Street of Antiques" in Porto Alegre city is presented. To do that, interviews with the population are made to evaluate the current situation of signs. After that, a new sign proposal with virtual prototyping is done using the developed methodology. The results obtained with new interviews about the proposal show the user satisfaction and the importance of cognitive ergonomics to development of this type of urban furniture.

A brief essay on ergonomics in graphic design.

Through Brazilian publication revision on the relations amongst Ergonomics and Design, we observed the tendency towards an approach focusing on product design. However, it is our duty to question which would be the influences of ergonomics in the graphic design. As a methodology, we considered the identification that the practices derived from ergonomics as epistemic system found in the main bibliography related to graphic design.

Informational ergonomics and design: signage design for Monte Sião Camp.

This paper refers to the development of a signage system, driven by the vector of Signage Design and Informational Ergonomics associated with Regulatory Standards. The methodology of the Ergonomic Intervention of Moraes and Mont'Alvão (2003), in its early stages, and the Method of the Signage Pyramid of Calori (2007) were used to develop the research, data collection and analysis and to guide the design by a signaling system. The system contemplated by this job is called Mount Zion, a site of 19 hectares, which has signs of disturbance. As a result, we obtained a signaling system, with graphic features that refer to formal-site, capable of meeting the needs of orientation and displacement inherent to the site.

Graphic and cultural aspects of pictograms: an information ergonomics viewpoint.

The use of pictograms is discussed considering their information content, graphic complexity and cultural dimension. The resemblance and the illusion theories are highlighted to define pictogram as a salience-based representation system, which communicational efficacy depends upon historical and cultural aspects in their interpretation. Thus, the competence in interpreting pictograms is considered relative to users' acquaintance with the pictorial system and with the referents. Pictogram as a general/neutral visual statement is questioned, pointing out the cultural and gender attributes added to pictures to represent people, professions and social events. As a result of this discussion, some critical points of the standardization of pictograms are presented.

Ergonomic analysis of safety signs: a focus of informational and cultural ergonomics.

This paper presents the results of a research carried out in the states of Pernambuco and Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil about differences and similarities in the graphic representation of safety signs at factories of food, steel, shoes and construction/ building industries, together with their workers' opinions on the security signs. The overall results show differences in the sign structure across the states, confirming the influence of cultural differences on the design of safety signs, which must be taken into account during the design process.

The elderly in the shopping centers: the usability study of semipublic spaces as attractiveness generator.

This article aims to study the importance of the attributes of usability and attractiveness for the semi-public spaces of Shopping Centers considering the elderly users, the psycho-cognitive and bio-physiological changes resulting from the aging process, as well as their expectations of the built space. Through a qualitative study of theoretical review with a multidisciplinary focus in architecture, ergonomics, gerontology, environmental psychology and management, the conditions of the elderly users were identified, and also the attributes related to usability and attractiveness, collected in order to understand and organize their interrelationships, to suggest recommendations about the drafting of Shopping Centers, aiming to generate projects and environments that should promote the efficient and satisfactory use for elderly and may also create a competitive advantage for these enterprises.

A comunicação visual hospitalar no Hospital Cristo Redentor

O estudo visa promover a identificação visual dos serviços do Hospital Cristo Redentor dentro das Normas Técnicas da ABNT, buscando a melhoria do fluxo de pessoal. Sugere a padronização das placas, indicadores, totens, etc. Pretende com isso a redução de pessoas desorientadas, perdidas, circulando pelos corredores. Através dessas ações busca a promoção do bem-estar e a redução do estresse das pessoas envolvidas na ação de busca e de informação.