Environmental noise sources and interventions to minimize them: a tale of 2 hospitals.
Noise has been shown to interfere with the healing process and can disrupt the patient's experience. This study assessed patients' and staff's perceptions of noise levels and sources in the hospital environment and identified interventions to reduce the noise level. The interventions significantly reduced noise as perceived by patients and staff. Identification of a structured process to identify noise sources and standardization of noise measurement methods can improve the patient hospital experience.
Dube
Joyce A Overman
JA
Mayo Clinic Rochester, Rochester, Minnesota, USA. overmandube.joyce@mayo.edu
Barth
Melissa M
MM
Cmiel
Cheryl A
CA
Cutshall
Susanne M
SM
Olson
Shelly M
SM
Sulla
Stephanie J
SJ
Nesbitt
Jeffrey C
JC
Sobczak
Steven C
SC
Holland
Diane E
DE
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003625:Data Collection; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006272:Health Facility Environment / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006747:Hospital Communication Systems; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology*; D008910:Minnesota; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology*; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D015397:Program Evaluation; D036301:Qualitative Research; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013018:Sound Spectrography; D013997:Time Factors; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000458:organization & administration