Topic 5: Psychology Effects of Built Environment: Ulrich (1984)

Question 1

(Topic 5: Ulrich) What was the aim of the study? How did the researchers look at medical records?

Answer 1

• Too see if the view from a hospital window affects recovery time from surgery.
• The researchers looked retrospectively at medical records.

Question 2

(Topic 5: Ulrich) Describe the sample for this study. (6)

Answer 2

• 46 patients in a Pennsylvania hospital.
• All had undergone gallbladder surgery.
• No post-op complications/psychological disturbances
• Spilt into 23 pairs, matched on relevant criteria.
• Only difference was their window view.
• One had a view of tree, and the other, the brick wall.

Question 3

(Topic 5: Ulrich) Method: Which patient’s data was recorded and when?

Answer 3

Records of patients on 2nd and 3rd floor of the hospital between 1972 and 1981 were obtained.

Question 4

(Topic 5: Ulrich) Method: Describe the hospital rooms.

Answer 4

All rooms were nearly identical in size, furniture, dimension of window etc.

Question 5

(Topic 5: Ulrich) Method: What were the different window views?

Answer 5

Trees or a brown brick wall.

Question 6

(Topic 5: Ulrich) Method: What were patients matched on?

Answer 6

A variety of characteristics such as age, smoker etc (one of the pair having the wall and the other a view of trees).

Question 7

(Topic 5: Ulrich) What were the 5 dependent variables in this study, and who gathered the data?

Answer 7

5 pieces of information was gathered from each patient record by a nurse blind to the aims of the study
1) Length of hospitalisation
2) Number and strength of analgesics (pain killers) each day
3) Number and strength of doses for anxiety each day
4) Minor complications requiring medication
5) Nurses notes

Question 8

(Topic 5: Ulrich) Describe the results regarding hospital time.

Answer 8

Patients with a view of trees spent significantly less time in hospital than the brick view patients (7.96 days compared to 8.7 days).

Question 9

(Topic 5: Ulrich) Describe the results regarding analgesics.

Answer 9

Patients with a tree view took fewer moderate to strong analgesics than the brick view patients (days 2-5 after surgery).

Question 10

(Topic 5: Ulrich) Describe the results regarding negative notes.

Answer 10

Significantly more negative nurse notes in the brick view group compared to the tree view group (3.96 per patient v 1.13) e.g. upset/crying.

Question 11

(Topic 5: Ulrich) State the 2 conclusions of this study.

Answer 11

1) Findings from this study suggest that views of a natural scene can give patients therapeutic benefits as they recover from surgery.
2) Decisions about the location & design of hospitals should consider the quality of patient window views.