Date of Award
8-2019
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Planning, Development, and Preservation
Committee Member
Dr. Dina Battisto, Committee Chair
Committee Member
Dr. Vincent Blouin
Committee Member
Dr. Patrick Gerard
Committee Member
Dr. James McCubbin
Abstract
Surgeons endure a significant amount of mental stress while operating in complex and intense surgical environments. In the United States, most operating rooms are windowless spaces that rely on artificial lighting and mechanical ventilation. Surgeons spend much of their day in these surgical environments with little access to exterior views or daylight. There is a growing body of occupational health research that supports the therapeutic benefits of views and daylight in various non-surgical work environments. It is reasonable to consider that windows in operating rooms may mitigate surgeon mental stress and consequently improve surgeon occupational health.
This study used a quasi-experimental strategy with an equivalent time samples study design to understand how window access may influence surgeon mental stress in a real operating room setting. Measures of surgeon mental stress from pairs of observed surgical procedures were compared with and without the window treatment. Surgeon mental stress was assessed with a combination of physiological and subjective measures to include momentary stress questionnaires, high-frequency component of heart rate intervals, salivary cortisol, and general stress surveys. Observational measures of surgeon task lighting levels and surgeon gaze direction were considered in the analysis. The study outcomes provide a better understanding of how window access may influence surgeon mental stress in the operating room. Furthermore, this study showed how clinical research methods might be adapted to investigate features of the built environment.
Recommended Citation
Kiss, Christopher William, "The Influence of Windows on Surgeons' Stress" (2019). All Dissertations. 2481.
https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_dissertations/2481