Table 2 Critical issues related to the management of cultural heritage in health organisations

Coexistence of cultural and health purposes

The integration of cultural heritage promotion activities into health care pathways is difficult due to the lack of specific training on the use of art in health care settings addressed to healthcare professionals. This corresponds to a lack of knowledge about the possible benefits for patients, in terms of health outcomes and humanisation of care, and for caregiver and health professionals, in terms of anxiety and stress reduction. This knowledge gap limits the opportunities for integrating together the purpose of health recovery and promotion and cultural heritage conservation and enhancement.

While this was thought out and proposed, logistical constraints related to moving patients and/or moving cultural heritage, the lack of codification of this activity in terms of health services and the absence of dedicated personnel have prevented these initiatives from providing continuity so that they could yield the desired results over time.

Attraction of donations and communication strategies

Fundraising campaigns for the conversation and the enhancement of cultural heritage should be entrusted to professionals with cultural expertise. Moreover, the absence of a specific accounting tool to track these donations flows is another limitation.

On the other hand, health promotion and protection communication cannot be borrowed in the cultural sector. The risk is that there is a lack of clarity in the message given.

Limited use of cultural heritage in health care organizations

The movement of drugs and patients within a working hospital is often incompatible with the presence of visitors or tourist flows due to the presence of a cultural heritage exhibition route owned by the health organizations themselves.

Relocation of the exhibition, at the same time, disrupts the relationship between the historical site and its memory.