Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Aug 5, 2018
Open Peer Review Period: Aug 6, 2018 - Aug 14, 2018
Date Accepted: Oct 31, 2019
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
Enhancing the Patient Experience with IP Addressable Digital LED Lighting in Imaging Environments: A Phase I Feasibility study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Conventional approaches to improve the quality of clinical patient imaging studies focus predominantly on updating the equipment, however it is often ignored that patients can highly influence the quality of an imaging exam. Considerable artefacts can arise in images when a patient is uncomfortable, anxious, or agitated. Especially in high technology and anxiety-inducing environments, environmental facility conditions can greatly influence the patient’s comfort. When given the ability to choose aspects of their environmental experience, patients feel significantly more in control, thereby distracting them from the unfamiliar and uncomfortable settings. Making use of commercial, easily adaptable ambient lighting products, patients can customize their facility environment experience allowing for a flexible, more personalized experience.
Objective:
The purpose of this pilot study was to use colored LED light to create more relaxing environments and demonstrate the feasibility and initial findings of exposing subjects to this color experience. The ultimate goal is to improve image quality and patient experience by creating a more relaxing ambiance in the imaging environment.
Methods:
We installed IP addressable LED lights using the ZigBee standard in different imaging rooms. We recruited volunteers (n=35) to get pilot data in order to develop a subsequent clinical trial. The visual perception assessment procedure used questionnaires, pre-programmed colored light settings and allowed subjects to select their preferred light ambiance.
Results:
Technical implementation using consumer-based programmable IP LED lights was realized without any hardware/electric modifications. The subject testing revealed substantial variabilities in light color perception, however clear trends were noted. Regarding which hue was perceived as most relaxing, 44% (16/36) indicated a blue tone, and 31% (11/36) preferred yellow. Hue tones perceived to exacerbate tenseness were red 67% (24/36), yellow 17% (6/36), and green 14% (5/36).
Conclusions:
With most subjects indicating that they believe colored lighting will lead to a better patient experience, we predict that individualizing patient environments will improve not only the patient experience but also image quality. Clinical Trial: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03456895
Citation
Per the author's request the PDF is not available.
Copyright
© The authors. All rights reserved. This is a privileged document currently under peer-review/community review (or an accepted/rejected manuscript). Authors have provided JMIR Publications with an exclusive license to publish this preprint on it's website for review and ahead-of-print citation purposes only. While the final peer-reviewed paper may be licensed under a cc-by license on publication, at this stage authors and publisher expressively prohibit redistribution of this draft paper other than for review purposes.