This B.C. hospital is providing eye masks, earplugs as hallway medicine a reality

Peace Arch Hospital is implementing a pilot program to offer eye masks and earplugs to patients who are being treated in hallways and other overflow areas. This initiative aims to mitigate some of the discomforts associated with "hallway medicine," a reality for many within British Columbia's strained healthcare system.

The project was launched following a survey of 30 patients in hallway beds. Their primary complaints centered on noise, bright lights, and cold temperatures. Dr. Amir Behboudi, an emergency department physician at Peace Arch Hospital and the driving force behind the initiative, acknowledged that hallway care is far from ideal but is a current necessity.

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Ideally, yes, you don’t want to have hallway beds. But that’s not within my power. Within my power is what can I do to make the patient stay a little more comfortable.

"Ideally, yes, you don’t want to have hallway beds. But that’s not within my power," Dr. Behboudi stated. "Within my power is what can I do to make the patient stay a little more comfortable." He emphasized the critical role of sleep in healing, noting that well-rested patients often experience better pain management and require less medication.

The Peace Arch Hospital Foundation supports the project. Meanwhile, Fraser Health is considering whether similar comfort measures can be extended to other hospitals in the region, as overcrowding continues to put pressure on healthcare facilities across the province. Opposition politicians have expressed concern over the increasing reliance on hallway care.

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We know that when people sleep, their pain threshold gets better. It means they require less pain medication and there’s less side effects.