Understanding Discrepancies between predicted and experienced (Dis)comfort for hospitalized Patients: Four Reasons explored

Abstract

Abstract Hospitalized patients’ healing process is affected by their room’s indoor environmental comfort. Models are developed to predict (dis)comfort. However, discrepancies with experienced (dis)comfort occur. Four reasons have been identified for these discrepancies: (a) people adapt, (b) in their experiences, indoor environmental quality (IEQ) factors interact, and experienced (dis)comfort and adaptation differ (c) between people and (d) between settings. To better understand these reasons and their relationships, it was investigated how hospitalized patients’ experiences of their indoor environment relate to measurable values of IEQ parameters. A multiple mixed methods case study was conducted at Belgian hospital wards. Data collection included interviews, self-documentation by patients, questionnaires, sensor measurements of IEQ parameters, and simulations of indoor conditions. Data were analysed in separate and integrated ways. (a) Five adaptation strategies were identified. They seem to impact experienced comfort psychologically in different ways. (b) IEQ factors interact in experiences because their assessment is influenced by the overall comfort. Adaptation strategies enable achieving the highest conceived overall comfort. (c and d) What one considers as comfortable and the adaptation strategies one applies to achieve it differ between participants and between settings. This better understanding is an important step towards improving comfort predictions, and therefore reducing discrepancies.