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 […]
hospital
Clever hospital designs prevent noise and calm down patients
A few years ago, at the Healthcare Estates Conference in Manchester, UK John Criddle from Evelina London Children’s Hospital and Martin Jones from Art in Site talked about how they designed the emergency dept. with the use of illustrative and digital arts to guide, reassure, and role model behaviors. Their talk was called: Taking the ‘OUCH’ out of Emergency. […]
Searching for the best acoustic standard for healthcare
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 […]
Diffuse sound fields in healthcare facilities?
Diffuse sound fields – calculate right! Some years ago Saint-Gobain Ecophon published a new tool for calculating room acoustics. The tool makes it possible for the user to see both Sabine calculations on reverberation time, speech clarity, and room gain. It makes it possible for the user also to see calculations based on air flow […]
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 […]
A good hospital is well built!
The population is aging, we are living longer and new methods of treatment are constantly emerging. Growth is sought in the productivity of nursing care and the skills it requires will be more demanding. This creates pressure to build resilient, functional, and technology-efficient hospital buildings with a long technical lifespan. Good facilities, their indoor climate, […]
Acoustic standards in hospitals – overview and thoughts
This is the world – we need acoustic standards! The Danish Cancer Foundation has concluded that traffic noise can lead to breast cancer and non-Hodgkins lymphoma. The Danish Ministry of Environment concludes that 500 Danes die every year because of traffic noise – because of diabetes, stress, and cardiovascular diseases caused by noise. The Danish […]
American healthcare acoustics research presented at ICA 2019
Healthcare acoustics on the agenda What a privilege to attend ICA this year. Not only were we invited to a concert in the cathedral of Aachen but in the healthcare acoustics session, we had the opportunity to explore research from all over the world. Including 3 American papers on both noise reduction in neonatal care, […]
Robot assisting the surgeon in the Operating Room!
One of our editors, Swedish Concept Developer Healthcare, Maria Quinn – had the opportunity to be present during a robot assisting the surgeon in the Operating Room. Here are her thoughts and reflections on the sound environment in such a specialized area. Robotic surgery Robotic surgery, or robot-assisted surgery, allows doctors to perform many types […]
