A Study on Museumification of Hospitals

• Main Author: 郭功義
• Other Authors: 葉貴玉
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 1999
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/66220317251984076188

碩士 === 臺南藝術學院 === 博物館學研究所 === 88 === Besides medical and research purposes, hospitals also play an important role in carrying out the policy of public health for the country and communities, and share the responsibilities for public health education. However, educational function of hospitals seldom receive adequate attention as it should, or not being conducted in some more effective ways. On the other hand, modern museums, which regard public education as one of their chief goals for the society, have accumulated abundant experiences in the field of public education. This study was focused on the feasibility of transferring the museum experience in public education, especially the use of exhibitions, to hospitals. Starting from comparing between ‘hospital education’ and ‘museum education’, ‘patients experience’ and ‘visitors experience’, as well as ‘hospital interior’ and ‘museum interior’, strategies and limitations for the ‘museumification’ of hospitals were discussed. The final aim of this study is to help hospitals exert more effective means in public education, so as to improve the communication and interaction between medical professionals and patients. The theoretical basis of this study mainly belongs to the scope of museology and its application. Briefly speaking, there are two problems dealt within this study: First, the phenomenon and meanings of‘museumification’, which is frequently mentioned in museum critiques or related researches in recent years, were investigated. The definition, types, meanings, and purposes of museumification of non-museum spaces were further clarified. Secondly, hospital spaces were studied as the area of research. A survey of museumification of hospitals in Taiwan was conducted, and related factors in physical environment and behavior trait were analyzed from the viewpoints of museum profession, such as the visitor routes in hospitals, the public education in hospitals, patient experience and the communication between doctors and patients. Some examples of exhibition on medical and health related topics in domestic and foreign museums were introduced as references for museumification of hospital spaces. Finally, planning for four small hospital exhibits were proposed by the author. In conclusion, it was observed that, except for few hospitals which had adopted some ways of museumification and was proved having success in improving their service quality, most of the hospitals in Taiwan still stick to the traditional‘poster’methods for utilizing their spaces as a mean of education, though the designing of hospital interior exhibited the tendency of pursuing modernity and comfort. From the viewpoints of museum profession, the main problems of hospitals in utilizing educational exhibitions or media are poverty of forms and insufficiency of professional installation. The main reason is not attributed to the restrictions of the hospital environment, but the lack of the concept and ideas. Therefor, besides the survey conducted, introducing the concepts of museumification for hospitals is one of the main purposes of this paper. Hopefully the result of this study will improve the quality of medical environment in Taiwan, so that better medical service could be provided together with professional medical management.