title: Effect of intensive care environment on family and patient satisfaction: a before-after study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine to what extent intensive care unit environment affects family and patient satisfaction.
  
  
  METHODS
  A before-after study was performed in one university hospital in The Netherlands, 2 months before and 2 months after the migration of an intensive care unit (ICU) with multiple beds on a ward to a newly built ICU with all single rooms. Family and patient satisfaction were determined by two surveys: family satisfaction with care in the ICU and patient satisfaction with care in the ICU, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From 387 of 617 (63 %) discharged patients at least one survey (patient and/or family) was returned. Both family and patients were more satisfied with their overall ICU experience in the new ICU as compared with the old ICU. Mean scores for family satisfaction increased from 69.5 [standard deviation (SD) 16.6] to 74.1 (SD 15.2) for old and new ICU, respectively (p = 0.02). For patients, satisfaction rates increased from 63.6 (SD 18.9) to 69.6 (SD 18.3) for old and new ICU, respectively (p = 0.02). The largest differences on single items of the surveys were noted on environmental aspects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study to quantify the effect of ICU environment on family and patient satisfaction. Family and patient satisfaction with ICU experience increased by 6 % in the new ICU environment with noise-reduced, single rooms with daylight, adapted colouring and improved family facilities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Intensive Care Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Room F.06-149, P.O. Box 85500, 3508 GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands. i.p.jongerden@umcutrecht.nl
authors.forename: Irene P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Jongerden
authors.forename: Arjen J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Slooter
authors.forename: Linda M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Peelen
authors.forename: Hester
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wessels
authors.forename: Colette M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Ram
authors.forename: Jozef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kesecioglu
authors.forename: Margriet M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Diederik
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: van Dijk
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006272:Health Facility Environment; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies