Impacts of indoor daylight environments on patient average length of stay (ALOS) in a healthcare facility

摘要

This study investigates how indoor environments with lighting during the day affect patients' average length of stay (ALOS) in a hospital, by measuring and evaluating the daylight environments in patient rooms and comparing results to their ALOS. Patients' ALOS data were compiled at a general hospital in Incheon, Korea, and the physical, environmental, and daylight conditions in the building were assessed. Data gathered were analyzed using a statistical package to determine the trends in the patients' length of stay in hospital wards using 95% and 90% statistical significance levels. The data were categorized based on the orientation of each patient's room and the positions of the heads of their beds in relation to window views. Comparisons were made between the different orientations of patient rooms in each ward of the selected hospital. The variables considered in this study were: each patient's average length of stay as an index of health outcome, and the differences in environments during daylight hours, including illuminance, luminance ratio, and diversity of illuminance in the patient rooms of the hospitals. This study considered how these components affected patients' ALOS in the hospitals. It discusses the relationship between indoor daylight environments and ALOS, as well as the seasonal weather factor effect on indoor daylight that could potentially influence the patients' length of stay. This study can serve as a basis for the development of recommendations for designing patient rooms in healthcare facilities that will result in more effective healing environments.