A research team from Tokyo University of Science and Tokyo University of Science Hospital revealed through environmental measurements and questionnaire surveys that the light and sound environment, in particular, is related to the overall environmental satisfaction of healthcare workers and their ability to concentrate on their work in hospital intensive care units.
Hospital intensive care units (ICUs) provide 24-hour intensive care to critically ill patients facing life-threatening conditions, placing an extremely heavy burden on healthcare workers. Many medical devices in ICUs (such as vital signs monitors and ventilators) produce loud operating and alarm noises, raising concerns about the quality of the ICU environment. However, there have been very few comprehensive studies examining the quality of the ICU environment.
Therefore, the research group targeted ICUs and high-care units (rooms that play an intermediate role between general wards and ICUs) in university hospitals, which are based on open floors where patient beds are not separated by walls. From July to September 2023, they conducted comprehensive environmental measurements (temperature, humidity, air quality, illuminance, and noise) and questionnaires for healthcare professionals (doctors and nurses).
The top two reasons for dissatisfaction with the environment were the alarm sounds of medical equipment (1st place) and the lack of natural light (2nd place). Environmental measurements in the intensive care unit also showed that the equivalent noise level (noise level that fluctuates within a given time, unit dB(A) "decibels-A") during relatively quiet nighttime hours was 54.5 dB(A), significantly exceeding the Japanese Society of Intensive Care Medicine's recommended value (45 dB(A)). Furthermore, the horizontal illuminance (an indicator of brightness) in beds without natural light was less than one-third of that in beds with natural light, both results consistent with the questionnaire.
This study suggests there is room for improvement in the quality of indoor environments. Improving the quality of the environment to enable healthcare workers to continue working healthily could improve the quality of medical care provided by healthcare workers and have a positive impact on patients.
