An appraisal of the appropriateness of physical environment in organized inpatient stroke care units in southern Sri Lanka.

Background The impact of hospital building design on the health and well-being of individuals, especially in the context of stroke care in Sri Lanka, remains an underexplored area, despite the high prevalence of stroke in the country. It is identified that the absence of appropriately designed stroke units is contributing to a delay in the recovery of stroke. The study seeks to evaluate the existing stroke care units in the Southern Province of the island, highlighting its high population and limited specialized stroke care facilities. This study assesses whether these units adhere to specific design guidelines. Methods The research involves a descriptive cross-sectional study, semi-structured interviews, and an open-ended questionnaire to assess seven design elements from existing literature. Medical officers, consultants, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists who possessed experience and expertise in the rehabilitation field within the hospital were interviewed. Seven individuals were interviewed from each unit at a minimum. Staff feedback was also obtained through an open-ended questionnaire distributed to 20 individuals from each unit including nurses and other supportive staff. Results Existing healthcare units exhibit strengths like co-located staff spaces and weaknesses with inadequate outdoor access, bed spacing, distance of therapy spaces, and disabled access. However, the main problem observed is the need for more planning for these units, as many are repurposed from existing hospital areas without being specialized for stroke care. The staff provided feedback on each case, with extensive expertise in stroke care. Conclusion This study offers insights to architects to develop building guidelines for stroke care in state hospitals, given their widespread utilization, especially by individuals relying on economically viable healthcare services.