Journal of Health, Population, and Nutrition · 1 author, 1 centre
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This narrative review synthesized findings from 913 articles published from 1977 to 2023, identifying physical environment factors (indoor air quality, thermal comfort, lighting, noise) and social environment factors (care, communication, privacy, diet, cultural background) that influence patient comfort in hospitals.
This narrative review used content analysis and CiteSpace bibliometric software to analyze 913 articles on patient comfort in hospitals, comprising 126 review papers and 790 research papers. The study categorized influencing factors into indoor physical environment dimensions—including air quality, temperature, humidity, lighting, and noise—and social environment dimensions—including care, communication, privacy, safety, diet, and cultural background. The review found that prioritizing indoor air pollutants is an approach with considerable potential for enhancing patient comfort, especially in terms of patients' health recovery. The authors identified limitations in the existing literature, including that many studies focused solely on specific pollutants while neglecting ventilation modes and comprehensive removal efficiency. Longitudinal studies are needed to capture temporal changes in patient comfort.
