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 […]
hospital design
Improve sound environments in operating modules
Designing hospitals is a challenging task; anyone ever involved in such a project knows that! An increasing trend in Sweden, and probably other countries too, is to use ready-made modules for specialist areas. I have had the privilege to visit various building sites and completed projects where ready-made modules for Operating Rooms (OR) were used. […]
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 […]
‘Good’ and ‘bad’ healthcare acoustics
The sound environment impacts our well-being. In healthcare, patients and staff are seen to both feel and do better in an environment with ‘good’, sound-absorbing acoustics. As opposed to being in surroundings with sound-reflecting, or ‘bad’, acoustics. Healthcare acoustics Sound-reflecting vs. sound-absorbing acoustics Research comparing the impact of sound-reflecting and sound-absorbing acoustics on healthcare staff and […]
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 […]
Healing environments – Care for Sound
Care for Sound symposium on healing, healthcare and it´s relation to sound! Healing environments can greatly impact a patient’s hospital stay Here are two examples from the UK Patient Opinion website: “There were no doors only curtains, the lady next to me coughed all night and the two patients next to her were snoring. The […]
Hospital sound environments – we can make them sound better!
Sound environments – hospitals are noisy Often very noisy. Hardly ever even close to the maximum limit of 35 dB set by the World Health Organization (WHO) that would be considered a healing sound environment. Both patients and staff can be adversely affected by this noisy sound environment. The growing number of technological devices, an […]
Why vertical acoustics matter in Healthcare
Vertical acoustics an important asset in healthcare National standards in the Healthcare are lacking In many countries, national standards, regulations, and guidelines are lacking in the healthcare segment. 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 […]
Noise and premature babies
Premature babies vulnerable “Premature babies, with their growing brains, are especially sensitive to loud noises. In spite of this, neonatal units often generate a great deal of loud noise from equipment, alarms, and adult voices. And incubator vibrates like a drum, reinforcing sounds from outside,” explains Dr. Johannes Van den Berg, a neonatal nursing specialist. […]
Healing environment in The Meander Medical Centre
The Meander Medical Centre in Amersfoort, the Netherlands, was built entirely according to healing environment principles. The recently opened Meander Medical Centre in Amersfoort, the Netherlands, was built entirely according to these principles. The layout and design of this hospital are intended to facilitate much-needed rest and promote the recovery process. At a recent seminar […]
