The effect of sound compositions on anxiety and satisfaction of emergency department patients

INTERVENTION: Sound works and binaural beat audio of a half hour duration will be assessed for their ability to affect anxiety in emergency department patients. Soundworks include musical and non‐musical sound compositions. These may take the form of sounds derived from nature or urban environments and electro‐acoustic instruments. Binaural beats or binaural tones are auditory processing artifacts, or apparent sounds. They are perceived in the brain independent of physical stimuli. Two sounds that are similar but slightly different in frequency will beat to produce two new frequencies, the sum and the difference of the original two sounds. These interventions will be applied to participants as electronic files audible through headphones. The interventions are given to participants after they have received medical assessment. This will occur at a point in time after initial assessment by the triage nurse (up to four hours in some cases). All patients will be located in a emergency cubicle. CONDITION: anxiety PRIMARY OUTCOME: state anxiety measured using the State Trait Anxiety Inventory SECONDARY OUTCOME: Patient satisfaction assessed using the Davis Consumer Emergency Care Satisfaction Scale INCLUSION CRITERIA: Emergency Department Patients that are classified as Triage category Three using the Australasian triage scale.