Heritage in Hospitals: An investigation of the therapeutic and enrichment potential of object handling in hospitals and other healthcare organisations

许多医院信托基金和其他医疗机构投资于艺术项目，包括在医院空间安装艺术作品、艺术家驻场，以及开展拍狗和音乐工作坊等丰富活动。研究表明，这些干预措施对患者的健康有积极影响，包括心理健康、焦虑、疼痛强度、药物需求和住院时间。研究也显示了对员工培训和发展的积极作用。迄今为止，还没有关于在医院提供收藏品的潜在好处的研究，尽管大多数博物馆都有积极的外联方案，并被大力鼓励扩大其收藏品的获取渠道，特别是对受排斥的观众。这项研究的目的是了解将博物馆、图书馆和档案馆处理的藏品带入医院和其他医疗机构(如疗养院)的潜力和价值。申请者在伦敦大学学院医院开始的初步研究表明，对象处理课程会增加患者的幸福感和患者对自己健康状况的看法。此外，患者对物体处理会议的作用感到积极，因为它分散了日常病房生活的注意力，而且会议对工作人员和患者之间的关系有积极影响。重要的是，这项试点研究突出了住院患者在处理博物馆物品时所产生的深层情绪反应。虽然这可能是非常有益的，但需要仔细评估对患者和主持会议的专业人员的全部心理影响。研究的主要目标是在深入研究的基础上，制定一项有效和强有力的遗产与健康接触方案。该协议将包括最佳实践的指导方针、有效的会议发展和提供的例子，以及关于与医疗保健组织建立新关系的指导。这项研究将全面评估物体处理对患者的心理和身体影响，包括这种会议对工作人员和提供会议的个人的作用。研究助理将收集、分析和评估从处理会议中获得的数据，并将解决以下问题：不同的患者对处理会议有何反应？在处理哪种类型的对象方面是否有趋势？主持会议的个人的职业差异是否会影响结果？在开发和交付有效的对象处理会话时，哪些内在因素是重要的？一位自由艺术家将探索耐心物体处理过程中的创造性元素。这位艺术家将与患者、亲属、志愿者、医院和遗产工作人员合作，向更广泛的受众解释这项研究，寻求宣传处理物品的积极好处。这方面的研究将产生艺术家为展览和展示开发的材料，最终形成可通过项目网站访问的虚拟在线展览。这位艺术家将回答这个问题：医院遗产丰富的创造性成果是什么？来自英国各地不同机构的数据将被用来概述物品处理的作用。包括博物馆、图书馆和档案馆理事会、医院、国家博物馆以及地方当局、大学和独立博物馆、图书馆和档案馆在内的七个合作组织将提供在地区医院和其他医疗机构举行的会议的数据和信息。合作伙伴将使用由项目团队开发的标准方法，与研究助理和艺术家密切合作，整理数据，并对将遗产嵌入医疗保健的潜力、价值和好处建立广泛的看法。

Many hospital trusts and other healthcare organisations have invested in arts programmes, via the installation of art works in hospital spaces, artist residencies and the development of enrichment activities such as dog patting and music workshops. Research has shown that these interventions have a positive effect on patient wellbeing, including mental health, anxiety, pain intensity, need for medication and length of stay in hospital. The research has also shown a positive effect for staff training and development. To date there has been no research regarding the potential benefits of providing access to collections in hospitals, despite the fact that the majority of museums have active outreach programmes and are vigorously encouraged to widen access to their collections, particularly for excluded audiences. The aim of this research is to understand the potential and value of taking handling collections from museums, libraries and archives into hospitals and other healthcare organisations, such as care homes. Preliminary research begun at University College London Hospital by the applicants, has shown that object handling sessions resulted in an increase in patient wellbeing and patient's perception of their health status. Further, that patients felt positive about the role of object handling sessions as a distraction from everyday ward life and sessions have a positive impact on relationships amongst staff and patients. Importantly the pilot research has highlighted the deep emotional responses evoked in hospitalised patients handling museum objects. Whilst this may be highly beneficial, the full psychological impact on patients and professionals leading the sessions needs to be carefully assessed.The main objective of the research is to develop an effective and robust protocol for heritage engagement with health, based on thorough research. The protocol will include guidelines for best practice, examples of effective session development and delivery, and guidance on establishing new relationships with healthcare organisations. The research will fully evaluate the psychological and physical impact of object handling on patients, including the role of such sessions on staff and those individuals delivering sessions. Research Assistants will collect, analyse and evaluate data obtained from handling session and will address questions such as: How do different patients respond to handling sessions? Are there trends in which type of objects are preferred in handling? Do differences in the profession of the individual leading the session affect the outcomes? What intrinsic factors are important in the development and delivery of an effective object handling session? A freelance artist will explore the creative element of patient object handling sessions. Working with patients, relatives, volunteers, hospital and heritage staff the artist will interpret the research for a broader audience seeking to promote the positive benefits of object handling. This aspect of the research will result in material developed by the artist for exhibitions and displays, culminating in virtual on-line exhibitions, accessible via the project website. The artist will address the question: What are the creative outcomes of heritage enrichment in hospitals?Data from a variety of institutions from across the UK will be used to gain an overview of the role of object handling. Seven partner organisations including The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, hospitals, a national museum, plus local authority, university and independent museums, libraries and archive services will provide data and information from sessions conducted at regional hospitals and other healthcare organisations. Using a standard methodology to be developed by the project team, partners will work closely with the Research Assistants and Artist to collate data and establish a broad view of the potential, value and benefits of embedding heritage in healthcare.