Patients' opinions and experiences regarding the hospital bed and the bedside equipment: an interview study

As it is important for patients' recovery that hospital beds are comfortabl e and adapted to patients' needs, 60 adult patients were interviewed during their stay in hospital about their experiences and opinions regarding the hospital beds, bedside equipment and the general milieu in the ward. The pa tients were recruited from one ear, nose and throat, one general surgery an d one internal medicine ward respectively, at the Sahlgrenska University Ho spital in Goteborg. A standardized questionnaire containing both open and c losed questions concerning bed function and bed comfort was designed and us ed. The study revealed substantial and serious dissatisfaction among the pa tients regarding the comfort of beds, bedside equipment and the physical mi lieu in the wards. Younger patients were more critical than elderly patient s. The patients had many relevant suggestions on how to improve the conditi ons in the wards with respect to the needs they themselves had experienced as patients.