Information Overload-Do We Read All the Posters Displayed Across the Walls on Hospital Wards?

Background and objectives: To establish whether posters displayed across the walls on hospital wards are read, what information is important, and how the information should be received.

Methods: Sixty-eight staff and 32 patients' relatives were interviewed across 3 older people's medical wards followed by 20 follow-up secondary questionnaires postintervention.

Results: Only 23% of those interviewed were able to recall any of the posters displayed, and of those, 34% did not find the information useful. Those interviewed were enthusiastic about utilizing alternative media. A quarter felt the walls across the hospitals wards should be for artwork. Among patients' relatives interviewed, common information requests were "the discharge pathway," "delirium," and "falls." Based on the initial findings, a targeted information board was installed and a mural was painted across the wall in one of the wards. Further post-intervention interviews with patients' relatives showed that the board was well received, but further unmet information needs were uncovered. Despite the new mural, 45% called for more paintings.

Conclusion: Most people ignore the posters displayed across the walls of hospital wards, and unmet information needs are rife. An appetite exists for alternative media. Paintings were earnestly called for, highlighting how a comforting environment could be part of the holistic care we offer patients in hospital.