Baroque classical music in the reading room may improve mood and productivity

Baroque classical music in the reading room can help improve radiologists work lives, potentially improving diagnostic efficiency and accuracy, according to a study performed by researchers at the University of Maryland in Baltimore, MD, Harbor Hospital in Baltimore, MD, and the University of Pennsylvania Health System in Philadelphia, PA.

Eight radiologists participated in the study and rated their mood, concentration, perceived diagnostic accuracy, productivity and work satisfaction on a seven point scale. "The greatest positive effects were noted with regard to mood and work satisfaction, with 63% and 50% of respondents reporting a positive impact," said Sohaib Mohiuddin, MD, and Paras Lakhani, MD, lead authors of the study. "No participants indicated a negative effect on mood, perceived diagnostic accuracy, productivity or work satisfaction. Only one participant (12.5%) indicated a negative effect of music on concentration," they said.

"Given the increased workload of today's radiologists, we were interested in looking at environmental factors that could improve the work environment for today's busy radiology reading rooms," said Dr. Mohiuddin.

"Other studies have correlated baroque classical music with improved spatial reasoning, attentiveness and concentration and personally, I have found that listening to music aids my concentration and interpretative abilities," said Dr. Lakhani. "We are currently performing a larger study with more subjects to validate these results," they said.

More information: This study will be presented at the 2009 ARRS Annual Meeting in Boston, MA, on Monday, April 27.

Source: American Roentgen Ray Society