A Study on the Noise Level and Patients' Perception of the Noise in Emergency Department

응급실의 소음도와 환자의 인지정도에 관한 연구

The purpose of this study was to provide a bases for comfort of patient through of measuring the noise level in emergency room and grasping the perception to noise of inpatient. Data on noise level through sound level meter in ER and patients' perception of the noise through a structured questionnaire and were collected from August 21 to September 5 in 1998. And collected data were analyzed with SAS statistics progeam, descriptive statistic, t-test and ANOVA. The result of examination is as follows : 1. Among a noise level of measured highest was 64.6dB(A) in 'rounding of medical teams', the lowest was 54.8dB(A) in 'traffic noise from outside'. 2. The mean score of noise perception was 0.93. Among a kind of noise reported by the subjects, that which ranked highest was 'conversation of patients' caregiver and visitors'(1.75). The ranked lowest was 'noise of airconditioner'(0.59). 3. The relationship between perception of noise and subjects' characteristics was not significient. Therefore, based on this result, ways require to decrease the noise level in emergency department.