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
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)
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
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
Where? A GENERAL HOSPITAL 5 wards at University College Hospital NEUROLOGICAL REHABILITATION HOSPITAL A CARE HOME FOR THE ELDERLY A PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL
Recruitment Poster Leaflet
Methodology
Choosing a research method Quantitative results for clinicians BUT ALSO Qualitative methods for the subtle outcomes of a museum experience Robust AND sensitive!
Quantitative methods
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
Experimental and Control comparisons 50 Positive mood 100 Negative mood 40 80 30 20 60 40 Pre-session Post-session Pre Po 10 80 70 20 0 Experimental 60 50 Control 0 Experimental Control 40Pre-session Post-session 30 Pre-session Post-session
Experimental and Control comparisons 100 Wellness 100 Happiness 80 80 60 40 60 40 Pre Pos 20 80 70 20 0 Experimental 60 50 Control 0 Experimental Control 40Pre-session Post-session 30 Pre-session Post-session
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
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
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
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
Qualitative methods Studying the meaning of: Words Behaviour Context Through: Interview Naturally occurring speech Text Observation Images
Qualitative Wellbeing outcomes Museum sessions provided: Stimulation Distraction Outcomes important in context of hospital experience
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
It does strangely reconnect you with life. They re dead objects from thousands of years ago, but it does connect you with life.
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
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: h.chatterjee@ucl.ac.uk http://www.ucl.ac.uk/museums/research/touch/wellbeing