Heritage in Hospitals: using museum objects with hospital patients

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Heritage in Hospitals: using museum objects with hospital patients"

Arthur Edwards
6 years ago
Views:

1 Heritage in Hospitals: using museum objects with hospital patients Dr Helen Chatterjee, Deputy Director, UCL Museums & Collections + Senior Lecturer in Biology, UCL School of Life and Medical Sciences

2 3 year research project funded by Arts and Humanities Research Council, based at University College London and UCL Hospitals. Aim: To consider the potential of engaging with heritage objects as a therapeutic or enrichment activity within healthcare. Exploring: 1. Research methodology; 2. Evidence for impact of the museum intervention; 3. Best practice (museums-in-healthcare)

3 Researchers, Co-Investigators and Partners: Dr Linda Thomson & Erica Ander, Project Researchers Dr Anne Lanceley & Prof. Usha Menon, UCL Gynaecological Oncology Guy Noble, UCLH Arts, UCL Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust The British Museum Oxford University Museums Service + John Radcliffe Hospital Reading Museums Service + Prospect Park Psychiatric Hospital The Museum, Libraries and Archives Council

4 What we did Develop protocol; gain research ethics committee approval; design handling sessions; agree data collection methodology Over 200 museum object handling sessions with hospital patients + care home residents Collect data on patients wellbeing before, during and after the session(s) Reflect on our experience of museums-inhealthcare

5 Where? A GENERAL HOSPITAL 5 wards at University College Hospital NEUROLOGICAL REHABILITATION HOSPITAL A CARE HOME FOR THE ELDERLY A PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL

7 Recruitment Poster Leaflet

9 Methodology

10 Choosing a research method Quantitative results for clinicians BUT ALSO Qualitative methods for the subtle outcomes of a museum experience Robust AND sensitive!

11 Quantitative methods

Experimental and Control conditions Experimental

objects Implicates visual, tactile and verbal modalities

of museum objects (the same set of objects as used in

13 Experimental and Control conditions Experimental condition: Looking at, handling and discussing museum objects Implicates visual, tactile and verbal modalities Control condition: Looking at and discussing photographs of museum objects (the same set of objects as used in the experimental condition) Implicates visual and verbal modalities

14 Experimental and Control comparisons 50 Positive mood 100 Negative mood Pre-session Post-session Pre Po Experimental Control 0 Experimental Control 40Pre-session Post-session 30 Pre-session Post-session

15 Experimental and Control comparisons 100 Wellness 100 Happiness Pre Pos Experimental Control 0 Experimental Control 40Pre-session Post-session 30 Pre-session Post-session

16 Positive adjective scores Psychiatric hospital Residential care home Neuro rehab (outpatients) Neuro rehab (inpatients) Gen male oncology Gen female oncology Gynae oncology Acute & elderly care Surgical admissions

17 Negative adjective scores Psychiatric hospital Residential care home Neuro rehab (outpatients) Neuro rehab (inpatients) Gen male oncology Gen female oncology Gynae oncology Acute & elderly care Surgical admissions

18 Wellness scores Psychiatric hospital Residential care home Neuro rehab (outpatients) Neuro rehab (inpatients) Gen male oncology Gen female oncology Gynae oncology Acute & elderly care Surgical admissions

19 Happiness scores Psychiatric hospital Residential care home Neuro rehab (outpatients) Neuro rehab (inpatients) Gen male oncology Gen female oncology Gynae oncology Acute & elderly care Surgical admissions

20 Qualitative methods Studying the meaning of: Words Behaviour Context Through: Interview Naturally occurring speech Text Observation Images

21 Qualitative Wellbeing outcomes Museum sessions provided: Stimulation Distraction Outcomes important in context of hospital experience

22 Wellbeing outcomes from qualitative analysis New perspectives Excitement, enjoyment, wonder, positive feelings (e.g. privilege, luck, surprise) Learning (including skills and confidence) Energy, alertness Cheered up Sense of identity Something different, inspiring Calming, relieves anxiety Passing time Social experience Tactile experience

23 It does strangely reconnect you with life. They re dead objects from thousands of years ago, but it does connect you with life.

24 Conclusions Patients were distracted from their clinical surroundings and felt healthier and happier Object handling had beneficial effects on wellbeing though unclear whether effects were just psychological or could be physiological too Further studies need to be carried out on a greater variety of patients, as well as their carers and healthcare staff, ideally in a longitudinal study Findings will contribute to a best practice manual for care worker and museum and hospital volunteer training programmes

25 Heritage in Hospitals project team Dr Helen Chatterjee (Principle Investigator) Prof. Usha Menon (Co-investigator) Dr Anne Lanceley (Co-investigator) Dr Linda Thomson (Research Associate) Erica Ander (Research Assistant) Guy Noble (Arts Curator, UCLH Arts) Acknowledgements Patients and staff at participating hospitals and care homes in London, Reading and Oxford The AHRC (Arts & Humanities Research Council) The British Museum, Oxford University Museums, Reading Museums Service The MLA (Museum, Libraries and Archives Council) Contact:

Heritage in Hospitals

Heritage in Hospitals Taking Objects to Patients Dr Linda Thomson (Research Associate, UCL M&C) Taking Objects to Patients In 2006, researchers and curators from University College London (UCL) and University College London