The Philippine Heart Centre, one of the country's most prestigious hospitals, makes history as the first medical institution in Asia - and only the second in the world - to use the Philips HealWell lighting system.
This innovation from Philips, a global leader in health and well-being, can simulate natural daylight while indoors, thus helping maintain the biorhythm and speed up the healing of patients. The Philippine Heart Centre installed the system in its Intensive Care Unit (ICU), giving patients increased comfort and wellness in the ward.
Wellness through the power of light
Dr. Gerardo Manzo, Assistant Director for Medical Services of the Philippine Heart Centre, said, "It feels good that a Philippine institution is at the forefront of evolving technology, and even more so that it is our own hospital, already known for its state-of-the-art surgical facilities. More importantly, this partnership highlights our firm and continuing commitment to excellence and in delivering the best possible care to our patients."
"We are pleased to partner with the Philippine Heart Centre, one of the country's most revered medical institutions on this innovative patient recovery system," said Rico Gonzales, country manager of Philips in the Philippines. "Philips Healthcare solutions help improves the overall quality of patient care throughout the discovery, intervention and recovery process. Now with the healing capabilities of light, we can further support the Philippine Heart Centre in promoting good health and enhanced recovery with the revolutionary Philips Healwell lighting system."
Studies have shown that the body's hormone levels are influenced by its daily exposure to light and darkness. Natural light helps regulate the circadian rhythm, and thus has a significant effect on one's physical and emotional wellness. This connection has been observed in hospitals: patients who are exposed to generous amounts of sunlight have reported feeling less pain and stress, and even use up to 22% less medication per hour.
Sleep essential part of recovery process
The Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (Maastricht UMC+), the first hospital to use the HealWell system, carried out a nine-month research to investigate the effect of light on the sleep-wake rhythm of cardiac patients with Philips. The research showed that after seven days in a patient room fitted with Philips HealWel1 patients slept on average 8% longer and demonstrated some significant improvements: the time it takes a patient to fall asleep is reduced by approximately 30% during the period between the first and the seventh night and at the same time the duration of sleep at night increases by on average 8%. This means that a patient sleeps on average 30 minutes longer.
A soothing environment
To simulate the healing power of sunlight, the Philips HealWell system uses dynamic lighting, atmospheric light and intelligent lighting controls to create a soothing environment in the patient's room. It automatically manages a daily rhythm of light, akin to the varying levels of light on a sunny day.
In the morning, the levels are gently increased to help patients wake up with a positive mood. A relatively high level is maintained throughout the day, while in the afternoon and evening, the lights are gradually decreased to allow patients to relax and fall asleep. The atmospheric lighting can be adjusted according to preference, and caregivers can instantly turn on all the lights during a procedure or in an emergency.
Dr. Manzo remarked that the Philippine Heart Centre is keen on observing the positive effects of the HealWeli system on its ICU patients, and sharing their findings to the global medical community. "PHC intends to study and document the effects of this new lighting system, and contribute to the world body of knowledge on the role of lighting in wellness and healing" he said.
