Effective Strategies to Reduce Noise and Related Distractions

Design: The introduction is done by a stepped wedge cluster randomized design. The study will be carried out in five units of the department of intensive care medicine of the Radboud University Medical Center, a 950-bed university hospital in the Netherlands. The study focus on health care providers in the ICU.The research consists of the introduction of an intervention bundle to reduce noise and therefore interruptions during their daily work activities. Inclusion: All health care providers present at the ICU, during the study period (about 350) are asked to participate. They will receive information about the aim, content and relevance of the study and will be asked for participation.They are free to refuse to participate in the study (e.g. part of observations, survey). Methods: The data collection focuses on quantitative noise measurements at the predetermined locations in ICU units during the study period. In addition, during the entire study period (control and intervention), we analyse the amount and type of alarms. Thirdly, we collect data with regard to disruptions during the daily work process of healthcare professionals (e.g. during "high-risk moments", such as: medication preparation) by observations. Finally, health care providers are asked about their perceived annoyance, as a result of ambient noise (NRS-annoyance). Data analysis will be supported with the use of Excel, Phyton and SPSS.