Noise is a common problem in hospitals, and it is known that social behavior can influence sound levels. The aim of this naturally-occurring field experiment was to assess the influence of a non-talking rule on the actual sound level and perception of patients in an outpatient infusion center. In a quasi-randomized trial two conditions were compared in real life. In the control condition, patients (n = 137) were allowed to talk to fellow patients and visitors during the treatment. In the intervention condition patients (n = 126) were requested not to talk to fellow patients and visitors during their treatment. This study measured the actual sound levels in dB(A) as well as patients’ preferences regarding sound and their perceptions of the physical environment, anxiety, and quality of health care. A linear-mixed-model showed a statistically significant, but rather small reduction of the non-talking rule on the actual sound level with an average of 1.1 dB(A). Half of the patients preferred a talking condition (57%), around one-third of the patients had no preference (36%), and 7% of the patients preferred a non-talking condition. Our results suggest that patients who preferred non-talking, perceived the environment more negatively compared to the majority of patients and perceived higher levels of anxiety. Results showed no significant effect of the experimental conditions on patient perceptions. In conclusion, a non-talking rule of conduct only minimally reduced the actual sound level and did not influence the perception of patients.
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Economische impact World Rowing Championships 2014 Van 24 tot 31 augustus 2014 vond op de Bosbaan in Amsterdam de World Rowing Championships (WRC) plaats. Met het oog op de verdere ontwikkeling van het evenement wil de World Rowing Federation (FISA inzicht krijgen in de economische impact van dit evenement. Zij heeft de Hogeschool van Amsterdam in samenwerking met Hogeschool Inholland en Sport2B gevraagd hier onderzoek naar te doen. Daarnaast heeft de FISA enkele aanvullende vragen geformuleerd over de tevredenheid van bezoekers en vrijwilligers. Bezoekers Het bezoekersaantal wordt geschat op 40.000, waarvan 30.000 unieke bezoekers. Buitenlandse bezoekers besteedden gemiddeld 77 euro per dag, Nederlandse bezoekers 27 euro en Amsterdamse bezoekers 20 euro. De bezoekers waren goed voor 28.500 overnachtingen in de dagen rondom het evenement. De totale bestedingsimpuls gerealiseerd door bezoekers bedroeg 3,1 miljoen. Deelnemers In totaal namen 1.800 atleten en begeleiders deel aan het evenement. Conservatief geschat gaven de deelnemers gemiddeld 25 euro per dag uit. De totale additionele uitgaven van atleten en begeleiders komen daarmee op 534.000 euro. In totaal waren de atleten goed voor 19.500 overnachtingen. De totale uitgaven voor de accommodatie komen daarmee op meer dan 2 miljoen euro. Zes nationale teams hebben als voorbereiding op WRC in juni deelgenomen aan de International Rowing Regatta Amsterdam (IRRA), dit genereerde een lokale economische impact van 149.000 euro. De totale bestedingsimpuls gerealiseerd door deelnemers bedroeg 2,7 miljoen euro. Organisatie en media Het saldo van in- en uitgaande geldstromen veroorzaakt door de organisatie en de media bedroeg 0,8 miljoen euro. De totale directe en indirecte economische impact: 9,2 miljoen euro.
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For the Dam tot damloop, a running event with 36,757 participants and 115,000 visitors, both an economic impact analysis (IEA) and a social cost benefit analysis (SCBA) are made to study the (broader) economic effects. Three overlapping geographical regions are studied and two new estimates of non-market goods are used. For the hosting cities the net social gain from the SCBA is at least three times the EIA’s economic impact. The larger the geographical area studied, the larger the differences between EIA and SCBA, because the EIA outcome falls and the SCBA outcome increases. A lower multiplier than 1 lowers the EIA much more than it lowers the SCBA. This study shows that an EIA is not suited for evaluating the welfare effects of public support for a sport event. The difference in outcome between EIA and SCBA is substantial. Valuing non-market effects is done infrequently but is crucial for understanding the welfare effects of policies supporting sport events. Organizing an event for social and city marketing benefits can be a better reason than organizing for the direct economic gains.
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