Reduce noise Birmingham Women’s Hospital NHS Trust took part in a regional campaign to raise awareness of noise levels in Neonatal Units and the need to reduce noise. Led by Advanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Cheryl Lewis, the campaign highlighted the impact noise can have on babies. It included staff training, posters, badges, and the use […]
Healthcare
Less noise – less need for pain medication
Noise can make it more difficult to cope with pain. A nursing study performed by Barbra Blake Minckley showed that twice the number of patients were administrated pain medication when noise levels were “High” compared with “Low” or “Middle”. Even quite moderate noise levels can potentially disturb the process of caring for the patient. She […]
Noise inside incubators – quietest hour 49 dB(A)!
A recent study “Noise exposure in a neonatogical care unit and in incubators” demonstrated a far from ideal environment for neonates inside incubators. The noise exposure of premature infants in incubators is determined by the noise situation in the neonatal care unit. And on the other hand the acoustical properties of the incubator, which should […]
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 […]
Influence of noise on patient’s sleep
Noise levels in hospitals are typically more than 15 dB(A) higher than target values given in guidelines (for example target values from WHO and the US Environmental Protection Agency). Furthermore, noise is often one of the top complaints from staff and patients. This is concluded in a review made by Hui Xie and Jian Kang […]
Every decibel counts!
I am Tobias Angelbeck, Concept Developer for Acoustics in Health Care Premises, Ecophon Germany. I talked to Dr. Jo Solet – the Clinical Instructor at the Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge, MA (USA). Decibel counts Right now she and her department are doing two pieces of research. One on a behavioral research project […]
“When I really want to think I go to the bathroom”
Reported live from Ecophon 5th International Acousticians’ Seminar James West of Johns Hopkins University (abstract) entered the stage to bring focus to the problem of noise in hospitals. In this interview with him, he says that “we’d better be paying more attention to noise in hospitals”. He’s met people that have said “when I really […]
Improved acoustics reduce risks in Healthcare premises
“It seems likely that improved acoustic conditions reduce risks of conflicts and errors.” This is just one of the main messages from the research made in a coronary care unit in Sweden. Acoustics reduce risks The study points out the importance of further research on the possible effects of acoustics in healthcare on staff turnover, […]
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 […]
Room acoustics’ influence on sleep
Unwanted sound (noise) has been documented to be a serious problem for hospitalized patients. In some cases, different forms of intensive care noise levels can reach levels that are above what is advisable from a health and safety perspective (work environment perspective). In many hospitals, noise levels are not a threat to healthy people and […]
