Modifications to the hospital physical environment: Effect on older adults’ retention of post-discharge instructions

This study was conducted in two (originally identical) hospital bedrooms in a community hospital in Burnaby, British Columbia. For the study, one patient room was left in its original state; the second was modified to reduce visual and auditory distraction. In each room, older adults watched a video recording of different post-discharge instructions. After each viewing, and after approximately 24 hours, their learning/retention was tested. While in each room, video equipment and other non-invasive technology recorded physical movements/fidgeting. A significant interaction was found between room type, instruction type and order. Subsequent analyses found that the oldest participants had the most difficulty when faced with learning more difficult instructions in the “Typical” room. Movement/fidget data suggest that participants were less stressed while receiving instruction in the modified room rather than “typical” room. Participants overwhelmingly preferred the modified room and expressed comfort with the use of video to receive post-discharge instruction.