A recent study found that when bed headwalls were not visible from the hallway, patients reported less noise and increased privacy, according to an article on the Health Facilities Management website.
Florida Hospital Waterman, in Tavares, was concerned that the traditional design of the patient rooms with the headwall visible from the corridor was contributing to a negative impact on patient satisfaction scores.
When staff could observed patients from the hallway or nurses' station, they tended to not check on patients at the bedside as frequently. This caused patients to perceive the care as inadequate.
Research found that actual noise levels and patient perceptions of noise were lower in the new room layout.
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