Hunter
07/19/22
The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics have launched an initiative to curb the noise level throughout the day.
The Gazette reports that the “HUSH,” or “Help Us Support Healing” program, aims to bring down noise levels through public awareness, new tools for patients and their families, equipment upgrades, and staff training,
Emily Wynn is interim director of clinical functions for the medical-surgical division of the UIHC. She says that a quiet environment is a common-sense way to support healing, and administrators ask for feedback on the noise levels at the UIHC on patient satisfaction surveys.
Those surveys are administered by the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems. They show about 62 percent of patients nationally report that the area around their room as “always” quiet at night. The state average in Iowa is 66 percent. Although the University of Iowa Hospitals get a three out of five stars for overall patient satisfaction, their lowest scores area on the noise category at just 45 percent.
The quiet initiative began last week and implemented standardized quiet times between 12:30 and 2 pm. Staff have been directed to dim the lights, reduce patient stimuli, and talk softly during that time.
The paper also reports patients are provided new relaxation tools that include sleep aids like eye masks and earplugs. Equipment is also in the process of being updated to bring noise levels down.
Wynn says the ultimate goal is to make the “HUSH” campaign a permanent mindset.