This research was a first phase of an intervention study to address effects of noise levels in long-term health care facilities. The aim of the project was to improve acoustical environments in health care facilities in order to reduce stress and aggressive behaviour toward staff

High noise levels and poor acoustics in health care facilities may have negative effects for health care workers, such as increased stress, impaired verbal communication and increased patient aggression toward staff. This project developed and tested methods for researching this issue, including: measurements of sound and noise within health care facilities, sampling of biomarkers of chronic stress (salivary cortisol and heart rate variability), and the collection of information about participants’ perceptions of noise levels, other stress factors, and patient aggression

The refined research methods and preliminary data will inform the team’s next phase of research on the impact of noise levels in long term health care facilities

In partnership with the Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia