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 […]
healing environments
Better sound environments for doctors and nurses in the Czech Republic
One of our editors in the Czech Republic (CZ), Iveta Kralova, was recently part of an intervention study to create better sound in an eye clinic in Hradec Kralove. Here follows her experience in a country where acoustic standards for healthcare are lacking and where a lot of buildings are too loud to heal. Many […]
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 […]
Care closer to Home
Research and evaluation for care closer to home Across Europe, we need health systems focused on care closer to the patient. Chronic illness and multi-morbidity – particularly concerning older citizens – means that care models must respond appropriately! Hospitals remain important and valued institutions, but citizens need access to timely intervention and treatment at a […]
Acoustics to support recovery in Satakunta Hospital
A hospital is a challenging environment in terms of acoustics and to support recovery. There is a constant flow of people moving around the spaces. The rooms themselves feature no shortage of hard surfaces, and a range of different equipment makes the spaces even noisier. The acoustics must also be capable of meeting high hygiene […]
Healthcare acoustic highlights from ICSV24
This summer the 24th International Congress on Sound and Vibration (ICSV24) was held in London (23 – 27 July 2017). I already published a general blog post about it, and one post about office acoustics highlights (here). In this one, I dig into the world of healthcare acoustics. Below I compiled shortly the main content from the […]
The healing sounds of music
Can music therapy improve the sound environment for patients in hospitals? And how does it affect the patient experience when a healing sound environment is present? We’ve invited US-based Anne Taylor, CEO of Scandic Health and Registered Nurse. Scandic Health is offering music therapy, MusiCure – Music as Medicine, which is composed by the Danish […]
Designing a sound Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Neonatal Intensive Care A neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is a place that is never quiet. It is filled with medical equipment, incubators, babies and staff. The background noise constantly exceeds 50 dB, which is equivalent to hearing the ongoing sound of a refrigerator or of light traffic. Sometimes the noise peaks up to 70-75 […]
Future-proofing healthcare with these rules
How do healthcare and hospital management need to adapt in order to future-proofing healthcare businesses? What challenges lie ahead and how can they increase their contribution to both society and a sustainable future? In my work, I have the benefit of listening to and meeting both authorities in healthcare management and healthcare professionals. Based on […]
Treating critically ill infants in a sound way
Imagine having a baby, or remember when you had yours. One of your strongest wishes (if not the strongest) was probably for the baby to be healthy, and for the pregnancy to be ‘normal’. But what if, instead of having a full-term, healthy baby on your chest, you find yourself in a high-tech Neonatal Intensive […]
