title: [A survey about client orientation and wayfinding in Chilean hospitals].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sense of orientation in hospitals can be tricky considering the large extension of buildings and the inadequate signage.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To report some of the findings of a larger research project on wayfinding and patient navigation in Chilean hospitals.
  
  
  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.
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mora
authors.forename: Amalia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oats
authors.forename: Pía
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marziano
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002677:Chile; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006749:Hospital Design and Construction / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008123:Location Directories and Signs / Q000592:standards*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009949:Orientation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult