SEATTLE -- Those universally-recognizable stick figures that help people navigate airports, amusement parks and parking lots, even in other countries, may soon also guide you down hospital hallways... and to, maybe, the acupuncturist.
At International Community Health Services in Seattle's International District, you'll find large black and white icons guiding you to areas like the medical clinic (which includes a family of figurines and one with a stethoscope), the pharmacy (represented by a large bottle labeled "Rx") and the dental clinic (represented by a single tooth).
ICHS is one of four hospitals and clinics nationwide participating in Hablamos Juntos, a project funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that is trying to develop easy-to-understand ways for non-English speakers to navigate health care facilities. They completed their first set of 28 "universal" symbols in 2006, which includes signage for cardiology, radiology, immunizations, and emergency care.
Because 60 percent of their patients speak any one of 50 languages that are not English, clinic managers thought this was an ideal location to test a new set of symbols. The test includes symbols that were created specifically for the clinic, like alternative medicine/acupuncture, which shows a patient lying on a bed with a doctor administering four needles.
Project reports say 80.2 percent of research participants and 69.2 percent of those with limited English skills agreed the signs were easy to understand across all test conditions. ICHS says using these symbols has resulted in fewer patients asking receptionists how to find different offices within the building. While the main entrance directory still includes labels in English, Chinese and Vietnamese, all the others around the clinic only include English. They believe the success rate will allow them to simplify their signs.
Once Hablamos Juntos is done compiling data from each facility, they will compare overall effectiveness and efficiency of the new signage to see which signs can meet the minimum 85 percent comprehension standard set by the International Organization of Standards (ISO), as well as what symbols may need to be added to the set in the future.
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