Introduction Speech in the ICU affected Intensive care units (ICU) can be noisy and disruptive environments from both a patient recovery and workplace perspective, affecting speech intelligibility. Noise and poor ward acoustics have been linked to sleep disturbance and protracted recovery times in patients, as well as increasing workplace stress, fatigue and occupational burnout in […]
patient
Healing environments – efforts and opportunities
Visiting or staying in a hospital is an exciting experience for most people. In this environment, stimuli are perceived that can influence the situation in both a positive and negative way. Various studies have shown that noise levels in hospitals are too high for optimal healing. This blog is about how healing environments can contribute […]
Searching for the best acoustic standard for healthcare
When we are sick just opening the door to a hospital takes us out of our comfort zone. Our system is already stressed and our senses are therefore alert. We are more sensitive to sound and noise than normal – and in healthcare sound environments, this can be a challenge. Sleep is essential Patients are […]
Impact of noise in Healthcare premises
Healthcare premises: reflections on sound by hospital staff Children crying. Alarms beeping. Verbal communication. Footsteps. Healthcare premises are often complex sound environments and the cognitive load on staff is getting more and more challenging. Despite this, nurses and doctors rarely complain if the acoustics are not suitable for the activities – because their number one […]
Common hospital sounds affect patients’ sleep phases
An American study has looked more closely at the effects of typical hospital sounds on sleep. Sleep phases Different hospital sounds were played at sound levels varying from 40 dB to 70 dB and during different sleep phases. The probability of arousal varied with sound type, sound level, and sleep phase. Less surprising higher sound […]
Ecophon Healthcare conference
Ecophon Healthcare conference Approximately 60 people attended the Ecophon Healthcare Conference on 9th September 2009 at The King’s Fund HO in London. Host for the day, Anthony Thomas, concept developer at Ecophon UK, brought together an appealing range of topics specifically aiming to support a good design of our Healthcare premises. Prominent speakers were among […]
HTM 08-01 New UK acoustic guidance for healthcare
The new HTM gives Design Criteria for Room Acoustics in UK Healthcare Premises The document’s Executive Summary states “Noise can increase heart rate, blood pressure, respiration rate and even blood cholesterol levels. Good acoustic conditions improve patient privacy and dignity and promote essential sleep patterns. Such conditions are key to healing” Recently published, it requires […]
AP quotes Ecophon study on acoustics in healthcare
Roger Ulrich, an authority in healthcare design, was recently interviewed on the issue of hospital noise by the news agency AP. Ulrich is a professor of architecture at Texas A&M; University and visiting professor at University College in London. In that interview, he highlights the seriousness of this question by referring to a major study […]
