Medication errors prevented with optimized lighting
(PHYSorg.com Medicine & Health)

Western societies currently face the challenge of maintaining the high standard of health care (both affordable and available), with a growing shortage of care professionals. A well-designed hospital environment can positively contribute to the performance of care professionals. Healthy and engaged nurses are key in maintaining good health care. Mariëlle Aarts found that optimizing the lighting is a simple, non-invasive means to support the work and health of nurses, preventing medication errors. She also established that light can reduce problems like sleepiness associated to night shift work. Aarts will defend her thesis on this work tomorrow at Eindhoven University of Technology.