Sound Control for Improved Outcomes in Healthcare Settings
2007
The Center for Health Design
Report
Author(s): Joseph, A., Ulrich, R. S.
Added December 2022
The effect of a non-talking rule on the sound level and perception of patients in an outpatient infusion center
2019
PLOS ONE
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 14
Pages 1-15
Author(s): Zijlstra, E., Hagedoorn, M., Krijnen, W. P., van der Schans, C. P., Mobach, M. P.
The World Health Organization has recommended that noise in patient care areas be limited to support healing. The authors of this study explore the effect of a behavioral intervention aimed at reducing conversational noise in the context of an outpatient infusion center and its result on patient perceptions.
Added March 2019
Music and communication in the operating theatre
2015
Journal of Advanced Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 12
Volume 71
Pages 2763-2774
Author(s): Weldon, S.-M., Korkiakangas, T., Bezemer, J., Kneebone, R.
Added September 2018
Factors Affecting Acoustics and Speech Intelligibility in the Operating Room: Size Matters
2017
Anesthesia & Analgesia
Journal Article
Issue 6
Volume 124
Pages 1978-1985
Author(s): McNeer, R. R., Bennett, C. L., Horn, D. B., Dudaryk, R.
Previous studies have shown that noise levels within healthcare environments have been increasing steadily since 1960. Noise is a prominent source of discomfort for both patients and staff, and can also interfere with important interpersonal communications.
Added June 2017
Acoustic assessment of speech privacy curtains in two nursing units
2016
Noise & Health
Journal Article
Issue 80
Volume 18
Pages 26-35
Author(s): Pope, D. S., Miller-Klein, E. T.
Hospitals are environments with complex soundscapes, and some elements of these soundscapes can impede upon patient health and overall communication. Numerous sources of noise from equipment, movement, and increased speaking volumes combine with high reverberation rates, resulting in the need to speak increasingly louder.
Added March 2017
Objective acoustical quality in healthcare office facilities
2016
Canadian Acoustics
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 44
Pages 1-2
Author(s): Hodgson, M.
In this relatively brief study, the author chooses to survey a number of different healthcare offices in different locations in order to describe their acoustical nature and identify how certain design elements affect acoustical properties. Many different aspects of the offices’ physical design are taken into account in order to produce a comprehensive analysis of what exactly affects a given environment’s acoustical characteristics, and what could potentially be done to improve these characteristics.
Added September 2016
Adapting to Family-Centered Hospital Design: Changes in Providers’ Attitudes over a Two-Year Period
2009
Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 3
Pages 79-96
Author(s): France, D., Throop, P., Joers, B., Allen, L., Parekh, A., Rickard, D., Deshpande, J.
Although hospitals are being designed based on evidence-based design principles, it’s unclear how working in such an environment influences providers’ attitudes and professional performance.
Added January 2016
Impact of the Design of Neonatal Intensive Care Units on Neonates, Staff, and Families: A Systematic Literature Review
2012
The Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 26
Pages 267-268
Author(s): Shahheidari, M., Homer, C.
The authors indicate that the design of NICUs incorporating single family rooms as evidence indicates this room type contributes to the better development of babies, facilitates increased parental involvement in care, controls infection, and reduces noise and length of stay.
Added July 2015
Luminous environment in healthcare buildings for user satisfaction and comfort: an objective and subjective field study
2015
Indoor and Built Environment
Journal Article
Issue 5
Volume 25
Pages 809-825
Author(s): Lo Verso, V. R.M., Caffaro, F., Aghemo, C.
Lighting is important in healthcare, and the authors indicate its relevance to patient recovery and staff satisfaction. According to the authors, luminous environmental quality affects visual comfort, which is related to both natural and artificial lighting.
Added June 2015
Part 1: Evidence-Based Facility Design Using Transforming Care at the Bedside Principles
2015
Journal of Nursing Administration
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 45
Pages 74-83
Author(s): Devine, D. A., Wenger, B., Krugman, M., Zwink, J. E., Shiskowsky, K., Hagman, J., Limon, S., Sanders, C., Reeves, C.
A western academic hospital reexamined its design strategy when after three years of building a new facility they had to plan for a new facility to meet their patient capacity. Using a combination of the principles of Transforming Care at the Bedside (TCAB) and Evidence-Based Design (EBD), an interdisciplinary team presented design recommendations.
Added April 2015
Patient Safety in the Cardiac Operating Room: Human Factors and Teamwork A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association
2013
Circulation
Journal Article
Issue 10
Volume 128
Pages 1139-1169
Author(s): Wahr, J. A., Prager, R. L., Abernathy, J. H., Martinez, E. A., Salas, E., Seifert, P. C., Groom, R. C., Spiess, B. D., Searles, B. E., Sundt, T. M., Sanchez, J. A., Shappell, S. A., Culig, M. H., Lazzara, E. H., Fitzgerald, D. C., Thourani, V. H., Eghtesady, P., Ikonomidis, J. S., England, M. R., Sellke, F. W., Nussmeier, N. A.
The cardiac surgical operating room is a complex environment, where patient lives are saved or considerably improved with the help of sophisticated equipment and skilled personnel. Although outcomes are improving, adverse events still occur, many of which are preventable. This statement is the result of a review of literature that presented evidence on patient safety and interventions that worked in enhancing patient safety in the cardiac OR.
Added March 2015
Noise levels in an Australian emergency department
2011
Australasian Emergency Nursing Journal
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 14
Pages 26-31
Author(s): Short, A. E., Short, K. T., Holdgate, A., Ahern, N., Morris, J.
Added September 2014
Effect of noise on auditory processing in the operating room
2013
Journal of the American College of Surgeons
Journal Article
Issue 5
Volume 216
Pages 933-8
Author(s): Way, T. J., Long, A., Weihing, J., Ritchie, R., Jones, R., Bush, M., Shinn, J. B.
Noise in operating rooms (ORs), defined as any unwanted sound impeding on normal hearing, can be grouped into two categories: equipment-related noise and staff-created noise. Equipment-related noise can come from anesthesia equipment and alarms, suction devices, or surgical instruments such as cautery devices, dissection tools, and drills. Staff-created noise can come from opening and closing doors, conversations, overhead pages, and music. All of these noise sources contribute to the average ambient noise in ORs, which is 65 dBA with peak levels reaching120 dBA.
Added September 2014
Music increases satisfaction in elderly outpatients undergoing cataract surgery
1997
Canadian Journal of Anesthesia
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 44
Pages 43-8
Author(s): Cruise, C. J., Chung, F., Yogendran, S., Little, D.
Cataract surgery is one of the most common surgical procedures performed on elderly patients in North America. Sedative medications are often used to reduce patient anxiety throughout the surgical procedure, but elderly patients are more likely to experience adverse health effects from these medications. The anxiety-reducing effects of music have been widely studied previously, but never in the context of elderly patients undergoing cataract surgery.
Added September 2014
Objective evaluation of the effect of noise on the performance of a complex laparoscopic task
2004
Surgery
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 136
Pages 25-30
Author(s): Moorthy, K., Munz, Y., Undre, S., Darzi A.
Noise in operating rooms has been found to be as much as two times higher than the recommended level of 45 dB. Music is played in some operating rooms to reduce patient anxiety, increase the surgeon’s concentration, and mask noise in the operating theater. While some studies have shown the detrimental effect of noise and the beneficial effects of music on patients in the OR, few studies have covered the effects of these factors on the performance of medical staff.
Added July 2014
Centralized vs. Decentralized Nursing Stations: Effects on Nurses’ Functional Use of Space and Work Environment
2010
Health Environments Research and Design Journal (HERD)
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 3
Pages 19-42
Author(s): Zborowsky, T., Bunker Hellmich, L., Morelli, A., O’Neill, M.
Information technology enables nurses to move away from traditional centralized paper-charting stations to smaller decentralized work stations and charting substations located closer to, or inside of, patient rooms. Understanding the tradeoffs presented by centralized and decentralized nursing station design could provide useful information for future design and the nurse environment "fit."
Added May 2014
Noise in the Operating Room—What Do We Know? A Review of the Literature
2010
Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 6
Volume 25
Pages 380-386
Author(s): Hasfeldt, D., Laerkner, E., Birkelund, R.
Noise is a general stressor and should be avoided in the operating room (OR). However, over the last 10 years, while the focus has been on preventing air pollution and maximizing sterility in the OR, very little attention has gone toward preventing noise pollution. Meanwhile, there is more and more noisy technological equipment in the OR, and it can be assumed that problems with noise in the OR have not decreased.
Added January 2014
Patients’ Interactions in an Intensive Care Unit and Their Memories of Intensive Care: A Mixed Method Study
2013
Intensive and Critical Care Nursing
Journal Article
Author(s): Meriläinen, M, Kyngäs, H, Ala-Kokko, T
The various equipment and devices in the intensive care unit (ICU) make it the most technologically sophisticated environment in any hospital. But, from a patient’s perspective, being connected to various devices; experiencing unsettling noises, smells, lighting, and uncomfortable temperatures; and enduring the perceptions of other patients as care objects can cause both physical and mental stress.
Added January 2014
Do absorption and realistic distraction influence performance of component task surgical procedure?
2010
Surgical Endoscopy
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 24
Pages 902-907
Author(s): Pluyter, J. R., Buzink, S. N., Rutkowski, A. F., Jakimowicz, J. J.
Surgeons’ ability of focusing their attention on surgical tasks directly impacts their performance on surgical operations, which is an important factor influencing quality of care, work efficiency, patient satisfaction, and many other healthcare outcomes. Attention or concentration is more important for performing minimal invasive surgeries which involve complex technologies and put high physical and cognitive demands on surgeons.
Added November 2012
Cancer Patients' Satisfaction With Care in Traditional and Innovative Ambulatory Oncology Clinics
2008
Journal of Nursing Care Quality
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 23
Pages 251-257
Author(s): Groff, S. L., Carlson, L. E., Tsang, K., Potter, B. J.
Recent advances in cancer care allow more cancer patients to be treated on an ambulatory care basis, whether chemotherapy, radiation therapy or follow-up care. Care can include physical, psychological, and emotional challenges. Ambulatory oncology clinics have the opportunity to create positive treatment experiences for patients.
Added October 2012
