Effect of the Built Operating Room Environment on Patient Outcome

Problem: Anxiety prior to surgery is an expected emotion. Research has been conducted on methods to reduce anxiety prior to entering the operating room (OR). These studies have involved some form of distraction, almost all finding that some form of distraction prior to entering the OR decreases both physiologic signs and patient reports of anxiety. Very few of these studies have carried the intervention into the OR itself. Steris Corporation has developed an automated surgical suite environmental system, called SignatureSuite™, that controls the level of lighting, images on OR monitors, and ambient background audio via preset, computerized automation for use before and after anesthesia. The research question is: What is the effect of the SignatureSuite OR environment on patient anxiety and analgesic use? Study methods: The proposed study will be a two arm randomized controlled trial. Randomization will occur at the surgeon level, based on SignatureSuite operating room environment (experimental group) versus a standard Marymount Hospital operating room environment (control group).

Data collection: The study will take place in the perioperative department of Cleveland Clinic's Marymount Hospital. Patient anxiety will be measured before and after surgery using an anxiety visual analog scale (VAS). Data about patient characteristics will be retrieved retrospectively by chart review. The effect of SignatureSuite on OR time will also be determined.

Sample characteristics: The patient sample will comprise patients undergoing thyroid and/or parathyroid surgery at Cleveland Clinic Marymount Hospital.

Sample size: 40 subjects per group will provide adequate power to detect large effect sizes (0.80) and is feasible in a reasonable period of time.

Inclusion criteria

• able to read and understand English;
• presentation for thyroid and/or parathyroid surgery at Marymount Hospital;
• visual capacity to complete the VAS

Exclusion criteria

• history of documented anxiety/depression disorder
• currently taking medications for depression/anxiety
• currently taking anticonvulsant medication and/or gamma-Aminobutyric acid analogs
• unable to read and understand English
• dementia
• vision loss making it impossible to complete the anxiety visual analog scale
• currently taking beta-blockers
• surgeon refusal for patient participation
• intra-operative emergency, such as cardiac incident requiring resuscitation or stabilizing medications, unplanned extubation, or early emergence from anesthesia
• other patient-related reasons that would affect eligibility to participate.