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 […]
communication
Hospital corridors – how do they sound?
Standards in Europe Standards and guidelines for room acoustics in healthcare are lacking in general and very few countries have mandatory regulations in this field. And even in countries with guidelines for other public buildings (e.g. schools) healthcare standards – and particularly detailed standards including corridors don’t exist. Just to mention a few – Czech […]
Effect of sound on nurses’ task performance
It is no secret that the effect of sound in healthcare can unfluence people negatively. Various studies over the years have shed light on how care and cure of patients get difficult if the sound environments are not supporting the activities. Patients suffer Patients are affected by sound levels in hospitals – and over the […]
5 tips for the hearing impaired
One of our editors, Morten Roar Berg, has recently been a speaker at an event for hearing impaired people. Here are his reflections after the event. Recently I had the pleasure of doing my first presentation for a crowd with either inborn hearing impairment or hearing damage. It really broadened my professional perspective. In my […]
Fight, flight, or safety? The impact of alarming sounds on healthcare professionals
Fight, flight, or safety? Humans respond very well to sounds, and our hearing is created to protect us. To guide us in understanding what is going on we have our ears, our own built-in ‘watchdogs’ . It quickly determine where a sound comes from, and whether a situation should activate our fight or flight mode. […]
The importance of acoustics in designing spaces for people with dementia
The sound environment of a building plays an important role for those with dementia. We have been working to understand the extent for some time with various different bodies. Including commissioning a literature review with Salford University of existing research in this field to help assess the impact of noise on people with dementia. What […]
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 […]
Communication a key issue in Emergency units
Communication Stress levels run high in the emergency department. Mistakes are unacceptable. Patients’ lives depend on the skill and focus of the emergency medical team. Clear, precise communication is invaluable, so the University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein in Lübeck, Germany, decided to create the optimum conditions for it. Patients’ lives depend on the skill and focus […]
Birth pool considers acoustics to create a calming environment
A midwifery-led birth center that opened in 2010 at City Hospital in Birmingham has won The National Royal College of Midwives Award for “your Birth in our home”. It was judged by the President of the RCM and the committee of judges. The award was presented by Natasha Kaplinski at The Brewery, London. The Serenity […]
