Affiliation:
1. Georg-Elias-Mueller-Institute of Psychology, University of Goettingen , Goettingen , Germany
2. Department of Anesthesiology, University Medical Centre Goettingen , Goettingen , Germany
3. Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, University Medical Centre Goettingen , Goettingen , Germany
Abstract
Abstract
Objective
To investigate the effects of the Silent Laboratory Optimization System (SLOS), a technical-noise reduction and communication-management system, on noise load and stress among medical-laboratory workers.
Methods
We conducted a quasiexperimental field study (20 days with SLOS as the experimental condition, and 20 days without SLOS as the control condition) in a within-subjects design. Survey data from 13 workers were collected before and after the shift. Also, a survey was conducted after the control and experimental conditions, respectively. Noise was measured in dBA and as a subjective assessment. Stress was operationalized via a stress composite score (STAI and Perkhofer Stress Scale), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), an exhaustion score (Leipziger StimmungsBogen in German [LSB]), and salivary cortisol values in µg/L.
Results
SLOS users perceived significantly less noise (V = 76.5; P =.003). Multilevel models revealed a stress reduction with the SLOS on the composite score, compared with a stress increase in the control condition (F[1, 506.99] = 6.00; P = .01). A lower PSS score (F[1,13] = 4.67; P = .05) and a lower exhaustion level (F[1, 508.72] = 9.057; P = .003) in the experimental condition were found, whereas no differences in cortisol (F[1,812.58.6] = 0.093; P = .76) were revealed.
Conclusion
The workers showed reduced noise perception and stress across all criteria except cortisol when using SLOS.
Funder
University Medical Center Goettingen
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Subject
Biochemistry (medical),Clinical Biochemistry