A recent study by the Hospital Broadcasting Association was published into what having a hospital radio station could contribute towards a patient’s time whilst in hospital.
Some interesting points were raised in the study, of which some are relayed below.
In the study, it showed that there was evidence of hospital radio stations having an impact on psychosocial health outcomes in the following ways:
Boredom reduced by entertainment Loneliness reduced by social interaction
Anxiousness / frustration reduced by being calming and reassuring
Disorientation reduced by creating a sense of belonging
Depersonalisation reduced by making one feel like an individual
Health and wellbeing awareness increased by providing information
Music, and the other activities associated with hospital radio such as request collecting on wards and broadcasting other content, have been found to have a positive impact upon hospital patients. There are also positive impacts identified for the volunteers themselves. For NHS or HSC partners there is evidence that something like hospital radio could generate social value through an improved patient experience.
If hospital radio contributes to an improved patient experience, which reduces the length of stay by one day, the activity of the station is contributing to a £400 per patient saving which is the average cost of an NHS hospital bed per night (Georghiou et al, 2014).
Hospital radio has the potential to increase awareness of health and wellbeing by delivering information and advice in an appropriate and sensitive way. The focus on people’s condition in hospital can be depersonalising. Hospital radio can help people to feel like an individual by focusing on their personality and the music they like.
If you are interested in reading the full report, you can find it here.
