• Healthcare ,
• 19 Apr

Many surveys have noise as one of the top complaints for hospitals and medical environments.

Keeping noise levels low is a commonly accepted and agreed upon need among doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals. Also, according to an article by RN.com in 1995 “the World Health Organization (WHO) outlined its hospital noise guidelines, suggesting that patient room sound levels not exceed 35 decibels (dB). Yet since 1960, the average daytime hospital noise levels around the world have steadily risen to more than double the acceptable level (from 57 to 72 dB), with nighttime levels increasing from 42 to 60 dB. WHO found that the issue was not only pervasive, but high noise levels remained fairly consistent across the board, despite the type of hospital.”

According to one article by Healthcare Design in 2016, “Whether it’s persistent alarms, buzzing equipment, traffic in the corridors, or staff conversations, excessive noise can negatively impact healing—and a hospital’s bottom line. Considerable evidence has shown that pervasive noise elevates psychological and physiological stress in patients, elevating blood pressure, heart rates, and perception of pain”. The previously mentioned RN.com article also states that the high level of noise can be a “contributing factor in stress-related burnout among healthcare workers”. Not only that, but researchers found “Recovery room noise causes patients to request more pain medication, and preterm infants are at increased risk for hearing loss, abnormal brain and sensory development, and speech and language problems when exposed to prolonged and excessive noise.” It’s no wonder the article was named Dangerous Decibels: Hospital Noise More Than a Nuisance.

The noise levels in hospitals not only comes from the different technology and machines that are in use, but also the need to speak louder to be heard above these machines. Also, the materials used in hospitals tend to be smooth hard surfaces, i.e. nonporous and easy to keep sanitized. The issue with this is these surfaces also echo rather than absorbing the combined hospital sounds.

The need for sound reduction in hospitals started getting attention in 2006 when ongoing customer satisfaction surveys started to be routinely done. This attention then grew when a stipulation in the Affordable Care Act tied part of hospital reimbursements to patient satisfaction surveys. Even back in 2015, a Building Design and Construction article found “These surveys have consistently given the lowest scores to hospital environments for sleep disruption.”

While this seems grim, there have been many steps taken by hospitals across the country to address the issue. Using different materials to dampen noise, and taking actions to ensure that hospitals are quieter especially at night have greatly reduced the complaints, and hopefully the issues with client recovery time as well. The different measures that are taken will not only improve the quality of patient care, and lessen burnout for healthcare professionals, but can also go a long way to increase privacy and HIPPA compliance.

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