Study: Hospital room features could affect surgery patient outcomes

Hospital room features, such as distance from a nursing station, staying in a single room and having a direct line of sight to clinicians could influence a patient’s clinical outcomes after surgery, according to a study. The authors conducted the study at the University of Michigan Hospital between 2016 and 2019. They included 3,964 patients who underwent 13 high-risk surgical procedures and were admitted to rooms on two hospital floors. Mortality rates were 20% higher if patients were admitted to a hospital room without a window than if they received a room with a window. Future studies should see if the results can replicated at multiple hospitals, the authors stated. The authors presented the findings at the Scientific Forum of the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2022. (American College of Surgeons news release, 10/16/22)