One of the most thought-provoking sessions I attended at Forum Acusticum 2026 in Graz was Session A16.09: Acoustic Comfort in Hospitals. Two presentations approached a similar question from different angles: what actually makes sound annoying in healthcare environments? While researchers have studied hospital noise for decades, both speakers challenged the idea that measuring sound levels […]
alarms
Why is the ICU so noisy? A global survey of hospital soundscapes
Guest post by Dr Pyoung Jik Lee. Close your eyes in an intensive care unit (ICU), and you will hear a strange kind of orchestra: the steady hum of a ventilator, the rhythmic beep of a monitor, footsteps on vinyl flooring, a phone ringing at a nurses’ station, and, somewhere in the background, two clinicians […]
Space for Music: Elements to incorporate into Healthcare Designs
by Agostina Ferrentino, Clara Rius, and Ramón Torrents Introduction: Space for music The hospital is one of the most acoustically demanding environments that exist. Medical equipment, alarms, conversations and continuous activity generate noise levels that affect both rest and the emotional state of patients and staff. For decades, healthcare design has focused on minimising this impact […]
