Guidelines Improve Usable Areas of Thai Traditional Medicine Service Based on Universal Design Principles A Case Study: Abhaibhubejhr Thai Traditional Medicine Institute Chaophraya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital

Abstract

This article is the study of roadmap for improving Thai traditional medical service area under universal design principles. The purposes are to study the landscape which affects the usage of Abhaibhubejhr Thai Traditional Medical Institute and make the suggested roadmap for improving the service area according to user’s behavior and universal design.

The research found that the Thai traditional medical service area in the Abhaibhubejhr Thai Traditional Medical Institute consists of 3 service zones which are 1.) lobby zone 2.) examination zone and 3.) multi-purpose zone. Mainly, the activities in the area are treatment and examining the illness with Thai traditional medicine and herbal medicine. Average time of a treatment per patient is 1 hour and 30 minutes. Acupuncture area is the most crowded area. The roadmap for improving the lobby zone is to have the clearer signs, proper wheelchair parking area and waiting chair area. Also, the landscape should allow people to see the next service area easily with the counter size of less than 80 centimeters height and about or more than 40 centimeters width. For the examination zone, there should be partitions for keeping patient’s privacy. The partitions should be assigned for examination rooms, herbal steam zone and herbal bath zone. The entrance door should be at least 90 centimeters width and there should be at least 150 centimeters of distance between each service spot. The massage and hot compress should be separate for male and female, and single and several people rooms. Massage beds should have a distance of at least 90 centimeters between beds with side cabinets. The last is the multi-purpose zone. There should be restroom for the disabled and changing rooms and shower rooms should be separate to reduce the accident from slippery and wet floor.