Lighting Solutions improves the quality of diagnosis and therapy

In many cases, patients experience discomfort, fear or even embarrassment when they have to undergo a medical examination or procedure. Their mental stress often manifests itself in a physical nervousness that can reduce the quality of the diagnostic or therapeutic process. Most practitioners are probably familiar to one or more of the following scenarios.

Stress-induced physical risks during catheterization

Patients undergoing catheterization often have difficulty remaining calm in the cath lab. Usually, sedatives are needed in order to avoid patient movement during the procedure, or the cardiologist risks harming a vessel while maneuvering the catheter through the patient’s body to the blocked artery.

In a healing environment, light and color have a positive effect on the patient’s mood and help him or her to relax, significantly reducing stress-induced physical risks.

Reduced imaging quality due to positioning problems

The accuracy of imaging may also be affected by high patient stress levels. Patients often feel uncertain when facing a CT or an MRI scan. Children in particular are intimidated by the sheer size of the imaging modalities. Often, image retakes are necessary due to motion artifacts, which result in additional costs for the healthcare provider. Many patients require a strong sedative to calm down, especially those with claustrophobia.

In a healing environment, light and color can calm down nervous patients, thereby reducing both positioning problems and the use of sedatives. A telling example is the Center for Diagnostic Radiology in Butzbach, Germany from which radiologist Dr. Farschad Tabesch, M.D., reports that patients require significantly less sedatives because of the soothing lighting elements that have been integrated into the clinical setting.