Sick of Loud and Noisy Patient Rooms? We Are Too.
You don’t have to spend a lot of time in hospitals to find out that patients are sick of the noise in their rooms. Press Ganey surveys, current literature on the subject, and the unsolicited comments we receive while measuring sound levels in hospitals all confirm that patients are most often displeased with the noise experienced in hospital patient rooms. Minimizing noise disturbance to patient rooms is an important aspect of acoustical design for healthcare facilities. But before we can reduce the noise levels, we need to know the sources of noise and understand the factors that influence its transmission. (more)
HD Videoconferencing and The 21st Century Patient
Whether you watch HD from Blu-ray disks or over-the-air HD broadcasts, the clarity of the image is stunning. With widespread availability of professional HD imaging devices, monitors, and support gear, the clarity we’re seeing at home is now making its mark on the workplace and on the healthcare setting. A new phenomenon in smaller medical facilities is the use of HD videoconferencing with offsite offices and specialists. A properly designed system allows medical professionals to instantly collaborate with offsite experts, delivering an accurate and timely diagnosis while reducing the costs of time and travel for the patient. This stuff really works, and it is fast becoming a new benchmark of healthcare facility design. (more)
The Perfect Storm: Why Acoustics Suddenly Matter in Healthcare Design | Download Presentation
Great acoustical design now plays a key role in sustainable healthcare design and the healing environment. If you are the architect, engineer, interior designer, or user of a healthcare facility, we set out to give you the most up to date information regarding the current state of acoustics, noise, and vibration in healthcare facility design. As industry leaders in this rapidly changing market, Acoustics By Design president Kenric Van Wyk delivered a keynote presentation at a recent regional AIA Health Facilities Planning Seminar. Key points include:
- AIA Interim Sound and Vibration Guidelines for Healthcare
- The critical role of acoustics in LEED for Healthcare
- How acoustics affect Press Ganey Patient Satisfaction survey scores
- Acoustical Case Studies from new, “acoustically green” hospitals
- After the Storm – future implications for architects, engineers, planners, building owners, and medical professionals
Where will future trends in acoustics, noise and vibration take the healthcare market? How will healthcare patients be the ultimate winners? Find out now! Download The Perfect Storm: Why Acoustics Suddenly Matter in Healthcare Design.
Acoustics, Patient Care, and The Healing Environment
The healthcare industry is booming and your healthcare costs are rising, so what do you get out of it? Well, besides higher monthly premiums and insurance costs, you do get one thing: choice. You have the freedom to choose between everything from primary care providers to hospitals to outpatient clinics to rehabilitation centers. And this choice is driving up the competition between healthcare providers causing them to place a higher priority on, well – you – getting you and keeping you as a loyal customer, uhm… I mean patient. (more)
NICU Noise Control Research for Hospitals
The medical community and design community journals contain many papers discussing noise levels in neonatal intensive care units (NICU’s), how loud they should be and how to achieve those levels. Unfortunately, the recommended noise levels vary and the design recommendations contain few specifics that have been evaluated by qualified acoustical design professionals. Here is a sample of some of the recommended criteria. (more)
What’s Shakin’ in Healthcare
Unfortunately, sometimes it’s the walls, the floor, or the ceiling. It seems like every hospital I’ve visited in the last five years is under construction, renovating their current space or planning for large additions. With all the changes, it’s easy to forget about the “unseen” aspects of the design, such as Mechanical Noise and Vibration Control.
A common problem is loud mechanical units going in over operating suites. Vibration and noise from the mechanical units can cause problems with the medical equipment inside the suite. Too much noise and vibration can ultimately compromise the accuracy of the equipment. This can lead to misinterpretation of medical data and serious health issues. Operating suites are also very active places with lots of health caregivers interacting with each other. Excessive noise levels in the operating room can cause communication issues at a critical moment in time. (more)
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