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 […]
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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 […]
Listening to the Hospital Soundscape: Two Research Perspectives, ICSV32
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 […]
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 […]
Assessment of Factors affecting speech in ICU wards
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 […]
Early Morning Insights: Evaluating Sound in Emergency Department Redesign
Department redesign at Jeroen Bosch Hospital I had the privilege of kicking off the INTER-NOISE 2024 conference with the first presentation on Monday morning at 8:00 AM. Despite the early hour, the room was filled with fellow acoustics enthusiasts eager to delve into the pressing issue of noise in healthcare and Emergency department settings. My […]
Robotic surgery – precise but noisy
Operating rooms for robotic surgery require sound absorption for lowered sound levels and improved speech intelligibility. Introduction Operating rooms (OR) in hospitals are supposed to be quiet, controlled spaces that allow doctors and nurses to focus on performing complex surgeries. Unfortunately, the reality is often very different. Noise from medical equipment, combined with poor room […]
Room Acoustics play an important role in healthcare efficiency
Room acoustics is an important factor to create sound, healing environments. Having a proper indoor climate can raise productivity by more than 15%[1] For more than a decade, ‘Evidence-Based Design (EBD) has been part of our DNA regarding building healthcare facilities. When it comes to the indoor climate we know that lighting, air quality, and […]
Healthcare and hearing impairment
People who are cut off acoustically from the external world not only lose their hearing, they are at risk of becoming socially and intellectually isolated. The less stimulation the brain receives, the more quickly its capacity diminishes[1]. Hearing impairment is connected to more than just hearing. Hearing loss and mental health Research all over the […]
