Effects of the Noise Reduction and Communication Management Headset System SLOS on Noise and Stress of Medical Laboratory Workers.

Abstract

To investigate the effects of the Silent Laboratory Optimization System (SLOS), a technical-noise reduction and communication-management system, on noise load and stress among medical-laboratory workers. We conducted a quasiexperimental field study (20days with SLOS as the experimental condition, and 20days without SLOS as the control condition) in a within-subjects design. Survey data from 13 workers were collected before and after the shift. Also, a survey was conducted after the control and experimental conditions, respectively. Noise was measured in dBA and as a subjective assessment. Stress was operationalized via a stress composite score (STAI and Perkhofer Stress Scale), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), an exhaustion score (Leipziger StimmungsBogen in German [LSB]), and salivary cortisol values in µg/L. SLOS users perceived significantly less noise (V=76.5; P =.003). Multilevel models revealed a stress reduction with the SLOS on the composite score, compared with a stress increase in the control condition (F[1, 506.99]=6.00; P=.01). Alower PSS score (F[1,13]=4.67; P=.05) and a lower exhaustion level (F[1, 508.72]=9.057; P=.003) in the experimental condition were found, whereas no differences in cortisol (F[1,812.58.6]=0.093; P=.76) were revealed. The workers showed reduced noise perception and stress across all criteria except cortisol when using SLOS.