Abstract
Aim:The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a self-report instrument measuring patients’, family members’, and staff’s perceived support from light and color in the physical environment of an emergency department (ED)—the Light and Color Questionnaire (LCQ).Background:The physical care environment is an important part of a comprehensive caring approach in all levels of care not only for patients but also for family members and staff. However, no existing self-report questionnaire assessing the extent to which light and color are perceived as being supportive in the physical care environment from the users’ perspective was found.Method:The LCQ was developed as part of a pre–post study in which an ED serving 125,000 people was refurbished and remodeled using evidence-based design. The LCQ consists of six items for light and five items for color and assesses awareness/orientation, safety/security, functional abilities, privacy, personal control, and stimulation. The study was carried out in four steps: constructions of items, assessment of face validity, data collection, and data analysis.Result/Conclusion:Psychometric evaluation of the two versions, LCQ-Patient/Family member and LCQ-Staff, showed satisfactory content and internal validity (>90%) and high internal consistency (Cronbach’s coefficient α = .9) to support the use of the questionnaire for research and development purposes. Explorative factor analysis of a total of 600 questionnaire responses confirmed light and color as distinctive and independent dimensions creating perceptions of more or less supportiveness for respondents. The LCQ instrument may be useful for architects, administrators, and researchers of healthcare environments.
Highlights
The physical care environment has been described as an important and complex part of a comprehensive caring approach (Caspari et al, 2011; Ulrich et al, 2008) for patients and for family members and staff (Gerhardsson et al, 2020; Gesler et al, 2004; Huisman et al, 2012; Mahmood & Tayib, 2019)
The electromagnetic radiation that contributes to light and color can be measured with instruments and thereby be described by intensity or wavelength ranges of light radiation at a given point in the room
This study presents the development and evaluation of a new self-report questionnaire instrument—the Light and Color Questionnaire (LCQ)-P/F and LCQ-S—designed to assess how light and color are perceived as being supportive for patients, family members, and staff in the physical care environment of an emergency department (ED)
Summary
The physical care environment has been described as an important and complex part of a comprehensive caring approach (Caspari et al, 2011; Ulrich et al, 2008) for patients and for family members and staff (Gerhardsson et al, 2020; Gesler et al, 2004; Huisman et al, 2012; Mahmood & Tayib, 2019). Light provides important information as a link between humans and their surroundings, and it creates our visual experience of the world together with color (Klaren, 2017; Laike, 2017). Color and light experiences, as for example, light radiation intensity, variety, and spectral distribution, can have an effect on the human organism in terms of alertness, well-being, and behavior (Klaren, 2017). Light and color are defined as individual perceptions and subjective visual sensations linked to physical, physiological, cultural, and social reactions, uniquely affecting the five senses of each individual (Klaren, 2017; Mahnke, 1996)
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