title: Using rapid assessment to evaluate noise on an in-patient unit.
abstract: Rapid assessment was used to evaluate a noise problem on a busy, high-traffic, high-acuity medical/surgical telemetry unit over a 4-week period. Six sources of environmental noise were identified including conversational noise, noise from doors, noise from housekeeping activities, noise from the pneumatic message tube station, hallway noise, and miscellaneous noise. Our study also demonstrates the value of rapid-assessment methodology for the evaluation of clinical problems such as noise.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, Lehigh Valley Hospitaland Health Network, 17th & Chew St, PO Box 7017, Allentown, PA 18105, USA. Lynn.Deitrick@lvh.com
authors.forename: Lynn M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Deitrick
authors.forename: Paulette
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cyriax
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Davies-Hathen
mesh_terms: D004777:Environment; D006757:Hospital Units / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D009622:Noise; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration