Why it matters
One key factor in the design of healthy hospital environments is lighting. It has been demonstrated that access to daylight and pleasant outdoor views can decrease medication intake, increase satisfaction, and shorten the length of stay in post-operatory patients. However, exposure to lighting can vary between patients depending on their activity levels, proximity to windows, and the overall quality of lighting at different timepoints. Evaluating light exposure at a patient’s level is needed to define effective design strategies for fast recovery. Light is also a crucial factor to sustain workers’ alertness at night. High illuminance and blue-enriched lighting can improve the subjective symptoms of night shift work, such as vigor and sleepiness, but it can worsen workers’ performance and disturb circadian clock responses from patients whilst sleeping. Addressing shift worker’s personal light requirements for performance at night is needed to sustain their alertness whilst mitigating sleep disturbance to patients.
Project Overview
This project aims to test the hypothesis that personal exposure to different light conditions over time will improve sleep, activity levels, and perceived recovery in patients. This project also aims to test the hypothesis that electric light in hospital rooms could be adjusted to better respond to the performance requirements from night shift workers whilst reducing circadian disturbance for patients at night. By testing these hypotheses, this project contributes to developing an 24-hour, occupant-centered lighting framework for hospital rooms.
Project Outcomes
Publications
Ong, R.G., Rodriguez, F., Garcia-Hansen, V., Tronstad, O., and Cain, S. (2022) Occupant-centered approach to assessing lighting conditions in patients’ rooms. CIE Australia Lighting Research Conference 2022, Sydney 8 February 2022 Read on QUT ePrints
Garcia-Hansen, V., Rodriguez, F., and Ong, R.G. (2021) Capturing the Luminous Environment in Hospital Rooms: An Overview of Occupant-Centered Methods to Inform Design Practice. In CIE Midterm Meeting 2021. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/227454 Read on QUT ePrints
Project Team
Chief Investigator
Associate Professor Veronica Garcia Hansen
Other Team Members
Mr Ben Hackwood, Nursing Director Geriatric and Rehabilitation Services, Surgical Treatment And Rehabilitation Service (STARS)
Dr Francisca Rodriguez, Queensland University of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, School of Architecture and Built Environment
Ms Ruth Genevieve Ong, Queensland University of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, School of Architecture and Built Environment
Mr Scott Parkinson, Nurse Unit Manager, Surgical Treatment And Rehabilitation Service (STARS)
Ms Cindy James, Nurse Unit Manager, Surgical Treatment And Rehabilitation Service (STARS)
Funding
This project is funded by Women in STEM2D Award for Design, Johnson & Johnson (2020-2023)
