IEQ Assessment of Inpatient Wards in a Public Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) is more crucial in hospitals than other building types due to its effects on the recovery of patients. In Saudi Arabia, there is a lack of hospital design guidelines that prioritize IEQ, making it difficult to design spaces that provide adequate levels of comfort. In this study, objective and subjective assessments utilizing field measurements and focus groups, respectively, were conducted on inpatient wards in a public hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to develop IEQ-focused design guidelines that provide users with more comfort and satisfaction. The objective assessment targeted the four main parameters of IEQ: Thermal, Acoustical, and Visual Comfort, and Indoor Air Quality. The subjective assessment targeted the same four parameters by gauging the satisfaction level of three hospital user groups: patients, visitors, in addition to nurses and resident doctors as one group. A correlated analysis between both assessments revealed that Thermal Comfort and Indoor Air Quality were closest to acceptability, whereas Visual and Acoustic Comfort were less satisfactory. Design guidelines catered to the assessed hospital building were then developed based on the IEQ-related design issues concluded from the analysis.