Evaluation of Perceptual Indicators Regarding Environmental Quality of Medical Centers (Case Study: Selected Wards of One of Yazd's Private Hospitals)

Abstract Background: Locations, by creating a sense of comfort and peace or sorrow and distress have a great effect on self-confidence, personality, and personal health. Paying attention to the perceptual indicators of environmental quality can lead to sustainable changes in architectural designs. The aim of this study is to identify perceptual indicators of the environmental quality in medical centers and use these indicators to evaluate the physical-spatial qualities of those centers. The study environment was one the private hospitals in Yazd.   Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in 2022 in a private hospital in Yazd. The statistical population includes patients, visitors, carers and staff. 73 users from the pediatric care and hospitalization ward and 47 users from the outpatient ward were selected as the statistical sample through convenience sampling. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire consisting of 27 questions with 5 Likert scale options and 5 demographic questions, the validity of which was approved by 10 experts in the field of architecture and psychology.  The reliability of the questionnaire was also confirmed by Cronbach's alpha test with a value of 0.75. Questions included 3 dimensions of perceptual indicators regarding the quality of hospital environment. 2 dimensions evaluated the physical aspects of the hospital exterior and interior space of the wards and 1 dimension evaluated social aspects. For statistical analysis, descriptive methods (frequency, mean, etc.) and SPSS 26 software were employed. Results: The outcome of the percentages obtained regarding the dimension of physical-spatial aspects of the hospital's external spaces, pediatric care and hospitalization ward, the outpatient ward and the socio-functional aspects of hospital spaces, were obtained as + 25, + 38.38, + 44.73, and +36 % respectively. Conclusion: Based on the results, the outcome of the percentages obtained for the dimensions of the physical-spatial aspects of the hospital's external spaces, pediatric care and hospitalization ward, the outpatient ward and the socio-functional aspects of hospital spaces indicated the favorable status of the dimension from the users' point of view.