In this paper, we map navigational needs and preferences of patients and visitors to evaluate the appropriateness of a smartphone navigation application in the hospital in contrast to other, more traditional navigational cues. We test the effects of sociodemographic variables (age, gender, education) on wayfinding strategies and preferences of respondents (using chi2 tests). Empirical research is based on the survey among 928 patients/visitors of the Vítkovice Hospital in Ostrava, Czechia. We found a relatively weak association between gender and wayfinding—no major differences between men and women in navigational preferences were found. Age was the most important predictor of wayfinding. Respondents in the over-60-year age group were characteristic of a lower interest in changes of the navigational system and low willingness to use mobile applications for navigation—people between 41 years and 60 years were the biggest supporters of changes. Correspondingly, demand for improvement of navigation (including a mobile application) was positively correlated with educational level.

This paper analyses the acceptance of a smartphone navigation app in a hospital among its patients/visitors. We tested the effects of socio-demographic factors (gender, age, and education) on technology acceptance and on perceived difficulties with wayfinding in the hospital complex. The empirical research is based on a survey among 928 patients/visitors of the Vítkovice Hospital in Ostrava, Czechia. We found that the acceptance of smart navigation increases with the level of education and decreases with age. No significant gender differences were observed.

Healthcare, like other industries, is increasingly using smart technologies, which also include intelligent/smart wayfinding navigation. The focus of this article, as part of the research project (its second step), was to analyze the economic effectiveness of the introduction of the wayfinding system in a local hospital in the Czech Republic. In the first phase/step of the project, possible variants of the solution were identified, verification of possible functioning, and a questionnaire survey was conducted among employees and patients regarding the waste of time in search of destination and preferences of various forms of navigation. Based on the above, it was decided to develop our own mobile application. To determine the effectiveness of this method of implementation of the new system, economic verification was used by the cost-benefit analysis method. Although the use of this method has not been required in the implementation of funded projects within the European Union since 2021, it was chosen for clarifying the pros and cons in many both investment and non-investment projects. In addition to the net present value calculation, the benefit cost ratio, profitability index, and payback period were used for evaluation. The time saving of medical staff, calculated on the basis of a questionnaire survey in the hospital (the first step of the project), was used as a benefit. The costs used were the salaries paid out in the research project, the investment, and the operating costs over the lifetime of the navigation system, which is estimated at eleven years. Using the above indicators, the implementation of the navigation system was found to be effective, despite the initial high costs. Based on these results, as part of the third step of the project, the navigation system will be implemented in the given hospital—the testing phase was taking place in the last quarter of 2021, and the full implementation is expected during the 2022.