RELAX Surgical
Research type
Research Study
Full title
RELAX Surgical: the effects of environmental design on pre-surgical relaxation
IRAS ID
160858
Contact name
Daisy Fancourt
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Research summary
Over 4.6 million operations are undertaken each year in England alone. Of these, many patients experience psychological distress, which has negative implications for patient recovery. Indeed, psychological stress, in particular both trait and state anxiety, anger and distress, has been linked with slower wound healing (Broadbent et al., 2003) and more complicated post-operative recovery (Johnston and Wallace, 1990).
However, pre-operative psychological interventions can have significant positive effects on components of post-operative recovery (Navros et al., 2011; Weinman and Johnston, 1988). In particular, music has been studied in a series of randomised control trials as a way of reducing pre-surgical stress. Studies have shown the effects of music in reducing levels of stress hormones such as cortisol (Leardi et al., 2007) and reducing both heart rate and blood pressure, and have also found music to be more effective than benzodiazepine at reducing pre-surgical anxiety (Bringman et al., 2009). Unfortunately, live music is impractical in pre-operative settings due to issues of patient confidentiality and infection control. However, digital technologies are now offering the potential to take music into these complex clinical spaces.
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (CWFT) is a major surgical hospital, performing over 15,000 adult operations annually. Consequently, strategies to reduce patient anxiety and improve experience are amongst the hospital’s priorities. This project will test whether music and art in the Surgical Admissions Lounge actively reduce adult patient stress compared to normal unenhanced waiting spaces, with a view to extending the arts interventions to other surgical waiting areas both within the hospital and across the NHS.
REC name
London - Bromley Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/LO/1732
Date of REC Opinion
15 Sep 2014
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion