At the recent International Congress on Sound and Vibration (ICSV32) in Istanbul, two presentations stood out for their focus on a common challenge in healthcare: how we can create hospital sound environments that better support communication, concentration, well-being, and performance. While the speakers approached the issue from different angles, both highlighted an important shift in […]
healthcare
Listening to the Hospital Soundscape: Two Research Perspectives from ICSV32 in Istanbul
At the International Congress on Sound and Vibration (ICSV32) in Istanbul, several presentations highlighted a topic that is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore: the sound environment in healthcare facilities. While healthcare has made enormous advances in patient safety, technology and clinical outcomes, the acoustic environment often remains overlooked. Two presentations in particular caught my attention […]
Acoustics impact the quality of life when living with Memory disorder
This text was previously published on The Alzheimer Society of Finland’s blog to educate various stakeholders about the importance of a supportive environment for people with memory disorders. Memory disorder We know that hearing loss and memory problems are linked: as hearing gets harder, social interactions become more difficult, often causing people to withdraw from […]
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 […]
The many impacts of inadequate acoustic environments on neurodivergent and noise sensitive people.
Guest post by Carmen Rosas-Pérez (a PhD student at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh (UK)). Overview This post summarises the research done for my PhD Thesis ‘Disabling Acoustics: Impact of daily-life acoustic environments on neurodivergent, auraldivergent and noise sensitive people’ carried at Heriot-Watt University (UK) and funded by a James Watt scholarship. As a neurodivergent acoustic engineer […]
Patient-Centric Design: The Room Entrance as a Strategic Acoustic Filter
By Veronica Amodeo Patient-Centric Design Hospital environments have a significant influence on patient recovery, not only through clinical care but also through environmental factors that impact biological, psychological, and social well-being. Among these factors, noise remains one of the most critical and yet insufficiently controlled stressors. Excessive sound exposure in healthcare settings has been linked […]
Vertical absorption in Healthcare
National standards in the Healthcare are lacking In many countries, national standards, regulations, and guidelines in the healthcare sector are lacking and rarely include vertical absorption. One could therefore say that in many cases, building hospitals, elderly care homes, and psychiatric wards is the ‘wild west’ regarding acoustics. We are lucky when new buildings are […]
Improving acoustic comfort at Chelsea and Westminster hospital -The SILENTS study
Ecophon have been part of the Sound in Clinical Environments (SILENTS) study, looking at the effects of noise in the Acute Assessment Unit at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London, a project funded by the hospital’s official charity CW+. The aim of the study is to improve the experience of the acoustic environment on a […]
Improved working environment in Ahus Sterile Unit
Imagine working in an environment where the constant clatter of metal trolleys, the hum of industrial washing machines, and sound reflections from hard surfaces create an unrelenting cacophony. This was the daily reality for the dedicated staff at the sterile unit of Akershus University Hospital (Ahus). One of Norway’s largest hospitals is located just outside […]
The Impact of Hospital Noise – Survey among Polish Nurses and Midwives
Abstract Noise in hospital environments is a significant yet often marginalized threat to the health of both nurses and midwives and patients. Results from a survey conducted in April 2025 among 65 nurses and midwives in Poland indicate a high level of awareness regarding the negative impact of noise, coupled with a lack of systemic […]
