Perception of music and noise in AUBMC operating rooms.

Abstract

One of the major concerns in hospital operating rooms (ORs) is the high level of noise during surgery, which has been linked to problems with medical personnel performance, communication, and wellbeing. As such, the presence of noise is also a threat to the overall safety of the OR, including the safety of the patient. The source of the noise includes different types of tools, the clanging of instruments, and, in some cases, the music that surgeons choose to play in the OR. The literature is split as to whether the presence of music contributes to the noise or attenuates its effects. In addition, it is not clear how different factors in the OR, including medical personnel characteristics and surgical conditions, interact with the presence of music and-or noise to affect medical personnel. The overall goal of this research is to analyze the perceived effects of OR noise and music, together with other personnel and environmental factors in the OR, on the performance and attention of medical staff. More specifically, this study aims to 1) measure the noise levels in the ORs at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) and compare them to OSHA standards, 2) conduct interviews with medical personnel to collect data on their impressions of music and noise in the ORs, 3) analyze the link between medical personnel characteristics (e.g., age, gender, experience, specialty, etc.) and their impression of music and noise in the OR, and 4) analyze the link between surgical-environmental conditions and medical personnel’s impressions of music and noise. The study will be done in two phases. In Phase I, noise levels inside a representative sample of ORs at AUBMC will be measured using noise sensors. In Phase II, semi structured interviews will be conducted with surgeons, residents, and nurses who are involved in surgical procedures in the AUBMC ORs where noise data was collected. The resulting data will be analyzed in order to establish the link between the levels of noise, the OR environment, and the opin