Hospital Broadcasting Association |

Hospital Broadcasting An impact study Research undertaken by: On behalf of: 2 The Hospital Broadcasting Association is the national charity which supports and represents a network of over 200 independent hospital broadcasting organisations across the UK. For more information, see www.hbauk.com 3 Executive Summary The Hospital Broadcasting Association that hospital radio was actually positively Hospital radio has the potential to increase (HBA) commissioned an independent piece influencing all of these psychosocial awareness of health and wellbeing by of research into the impact of hospital outcome measures. delivering information and advice in an broadcasting on health outcomes for appropriate and sensitive way. patients. A UK wide study was completed Entertainment is provided by hospital radio involving over 250 individuals including through the playing of music, along with In addition to benefitting patients, hospital patients, staff and hospital radio volunteers. other content, that listeners like and that they radio has a positive impact upon volunteers feel is relevant to them. through making them feel like they are doing The study revealed that there was evidence something worthwhile and by creating a of hospital radio stations having an impact Social interaction via hospital radio comes sense of community and belonging amongst on psychosocial health outcomes in the from providing listeners with a virtual friend, radio station volunteers. following ways: and through face to face interaction with volunteers from the station. There is potential social value generated • Boredom reduced by entertainment by hospital radio through the impact it has • Loneliness reduced by social interaction Hospital radio through the approach to upon the psychosocial outcomes, and the • Anxiousness / frustration reduced by broadcasting taken by presenters provides a links between them and both physical health being calming and reassuring distraction and is a calming and reassuring outcomes and organisational priorities • Disorientation reduced by creating a sense form of entertainment. for the hospital, such as a positive patient of belonging experience. • Depersonalisation reduced by making Hospital radio helps create a positive sense one feel like an individual of belonging by familiarising patients with Recommendations are made to increase • Health and wellbeing awareness increased the hospital and allowing them to maintain the impact of hospital radio through raising by providing information a connection with their lives and people awareness and promoting partnership outside. working with hospital partners. More detailed Participants in the research recognised the recommendations have been made to the positive impact of hospital radio on reducing Hospital radio helps people to feel like an member stations and the HBA. boredom, loneliness and anxiousness. individual by focusing on their personality Moreover, insight from the research revealed and music preferences. Written by Dr Jenny Thomas and Steve Coles On behalf of the Hospital Broadcasting Association © 2016 www.hbauk.com 5 1 Approach I have had a really difficult and hard day. Your visit really cheered 2 me up and I am now looking Literature Review forward to hearing my record. Thank you! 3 – Hospital Patient Impact Measures Entertainment Social Interaction Calming and Reassuring A big thank you for brightening the Sense of Belonging night when you played requests Feel Like an Individual for all the patients on our ward. Health and Wellbeing Now that I’m home I’m still smiling about the sing-a-long we had!” 4 – Hospital Patient Value of Hospital Radio 5 Conclusions 6 Approach To gain an insight into the impact of hospital their families was included within the analysis. broadcasting a multi-method approach was The focus of the research was to explore the taken including: activities undertaken by the stations and the impact that these activities • desktop research have upon listeners. • questionnaires 47 hospital radio • station and hospital visits The data, both qualitative and quantitative in volunteers • interviews nature, was analysed to determine the impact of hospital radio in relation to a theoretical Insight was gathered from: model developed from secondary research. The way in which these impacts were achieved • hospital radio station volunteers through the activities of hospital broadcasting • patients and families are presented in the following section, along • NHS ward staff with evidence of this impact in practice. 60 • senior representatives from the NHS in patients and families indirectly 25 engaged hospitals patients directly All countries within the UK were represented. engaged In addition, a review was undertaken of relevant research and data. Questionnaire responses were received 111 14NHS from over 50% of the 209 HBA member questionnaire representatives hospital radio stations in the UK and more responses than 89 individuals were directly engaged by the research team for in-depth exploration of the activity and impact of hospital radio. Some of the people we Feedback from an additional 60 patients and spoke to in our research. 7 Introduction Physiological • Blood pressure To determine the impact of hospital • Respiration rate broadcasting the Hospital Broadcasting • Pain Association commissioned a piece of • Discomfort independent research. The aim was to • Infection establish whether the activities of hospital • Sleep radio stations are having an impact upon • Deteriorating health • Additional symptoms health outcomes and, if so, how they are • Falls making this difference. • Death Existing research evidence suggests that the Organisational clearest impact of hospital radio can be seen in relation to psychosocial health outcomes • Number of calls to nurse (British Medical Association, 2011). These are • Discharge process non-physical outcomes which include feeling • Length of stay lonely, being bored and feeling anxious in • Pain medication hospital. Psychosocial health outcomes • Infection control • Satisfaction with care are linked to other health measures • Patient experience and govenment healthcare priorities • Patient centred care demonstrating the huge potential of hospital • Re-admission radio to make a difference. Linked to this model are other factors Psychosocial 14NHS representatives which should be considered: • Loneliness • impact on volunteer’s wellbeing by being • Boredom involved in hospital radio • Anxiousness / stress • financial cost and potential benefit of • Anger / frustration • Sense of control providing hospital radio • Disorientation 8 Literature review 1 2 3 The Patient Experience: Importance of Psychosocial Music as Therapy: Health: Current government policy focuses upon the Research into the therapeutic impact of impact that the patient experience has on Psychosocial health outcomes have specifically music is mixed but generally positive. the delivery of healthcare (Black & Jenkinson, been linked to a patient’s experience of There is evidence to demonstrate that 2009). Research shows that how a patient feels hospitalisation. listening to music has an impact upon in hospital can affect aspects of their physical physical health including blood pressure, health and have consequences for the NHS, Brown (1963) suggested that hospitalisation heart rate and increased tolerance of pain or HSC in Northern Ireland (Sobel, 1994). for patients was linked to anxiety, boredom, (Allen et al, 2001; Khanna & Kotwal, 2010; loneliness, and frustration. In addition patients Mitchell et al, 2005). Physical health outcomes, measured in had to adjust to an unfamiliar environment. relation to hospital stays, are linked to the NHS A loss of control over their lives and the In terms of the psychosocial health factors Outcomes Framework and include; blood filling of time were cited as significant issues. identified, music has been found to have a pressure, respiration rate, pain, infection, Patients reported the slow passage of time positive impact upon stress levels, boredom additional symptoms, deteriorating health, which could lead to loneliness, sadness and and mood when being admitted to hospital falls and death (Department of Health, 2014) anxiety (Holloway et al, 1998; Kelly et al, 1999). (Evans, 2002). “Hospitalisation presents specific stresses Organisational outcomes include those Furthermore, having a choice in the music over and above those associated with illness... factors which affect the running costs of played was found to have an impact upon When a patient’s needs are not met it may the NHS or HSC such as length of stay. the level of perceived control that patients affect their emotional state.” (British Medical felt they had in hospital (Mitchell et al, 2005). These two groups of health outcomes are Association, 2011 p. 4) affected by psychosocial health measures of the patient experience including; Sobel (1994) analysed the evidence and found loneliness, boredom, anxiousness, sense of that a positive outlook had a beneficial impact control, sadness, anger and disorientation upon physical health outcomes. As a result (British Medical Association, 2011). those with positive psychosocial health were less likely to make use of health services. 9 4 5 7 Beyond the Music: Impact on Volunteers Conclusions: In addition to music, hospital radio stations There can be impacts of volunteering upon There is limited, if any, research specifically also broadcast other content and visit the volunteers themselves. Mundle et al conducted previously into

Load more