Nationwide Survey on Hospital Bedding

Abstract

Comfortable patients rooms are required to reduce patients’ psychological stress during hospitalization. To clarify the states of bedding at patients rooms, we conducted a questionnaire survey on bedding which catches patients’ eye and is used by them. We obtained responses from the nursing managers at 162 hospitals in Japan. The most common color for bedding was white (bed sheets: 97.5%, duvet covers: 69.8%, pillowcases: 89.5%). Patternless linens were used more frequently in view of clean environment than patterned ones (99.4%, 71.6%, 95.1%). Colored and/or patterned linens were used for relaxing patients. The most important element of bedding was safety/hygiene management (such as infection prevention), therefore, most hospitals put importance on cleanliness and safety/hygiene management. The effect of each type of bed linen on patients was evaluated as follows: white: “promoting patients’ sense of cleanliness”; pale red: “making patients feel better and warmer in the room”; patternless: “promoting patients’ sense of cleanliness without being conspicuous”; and patterned: “promoting patients’ calm and safe feelings, and making them feel better, brighter, and warmer in the room”. The results suggest that colored and/or patterned bed linens promote patients’ psychological comfort.