Why Acoustics Matter in Healthcare Environments:
Creating a comfortable acoustic environment in healthcare can play an important part in the safety, health, healing, and well-being for all occupants. Making sure that all conversations among patients, families and employees are private will help reduce the concerns of other hearing the medical reasoning behind their visits. For patients and families, poor acoustical conditions can create a negative impact on the patients physical and mental health. Acoustics can help with privacy, comfort, safety, and security. Sudden noises can set off “startled reflexes” which can increase blood pressure and higher respiratory rates in patients. If there was a prolonged noise, that can lead to memory problems, irritation, less tolerance, perception of isolation, sleep disruption and deprivation.
(CISA | InformeDesign)
Low- frequency noise can often create by the mechanics in the hospital. That can create annoyance, which in return can cause higher blood pressure and sleep disruption in patients. The noises in a hospital can impact the job of an employee as well. High level of noises can create fatigue, stress, and irritability.
In a study examining noises in a neurological intensive care unit, many nurses felt the noise negatively impacted them. Many noted that they felt irritation, fatigue, distracted and tension headaches as a result of poor acoustics.
In another study, patients in intensive coronary care unit, using sound-absorbing ceiling tiles showed better attitude. They could concentrate and communicate throughout their shift while fewer patients felt it was less distracting to fall asleep.
Understanding The Primary Acoustic Issues:
Direct sound is when a sound is transmitted to a person’s ear directly where reflected sound is when a sound has bounced off one or more surfaces. Transmitted sound is when sound is passing through a wall or ceiling and diffracted sound is bending over and around partitions. Architectural design strategies have found that placing staff away from the rest of the environment can help with staff irritability and sourcing quitter machines and alarms can help with reducing noise levels in a hospital.
Design Strategies for Improved acoustic Environments:
To identify the solution for acoustic problems that persist in a healthcare environment, an evidence- based design approach should be taken. There are different studies that have been conducted on acoustical design issues. These include noise reducing materials and the provision of single- occupancy in patient rooms.
Design Process:
Employing an acoustic engineer at early stages of the design, hire an acoustic consultant to asses speech privacy and speech audibility in healthcare to use the right testing to achieve the proper materials needed. Understanding that many of the design strategies used for infection control in healthcare environments can have a negative impact on the acoustic environment if it is not thought out carefully.
Site Design:
Understand that facilities typically have different levels of regulatory or functional control over different types of environment noises. Consider what natural noises that comes from the exterior of the building. From what is happening presently and what could happen in the future.
Space Planning:
Determining the need of spaces before starting to design is significant. This can help with the proper use of the spaces, the level of privacy needed, and the desired background noise levels, among other factors. When laying out the spaces, consider single bed patient rooms. This will come with several positive outcomes including reducing the spread of infections, improving patient sleep, recovery and privacy. Facilitating better communication between patients and visitors, and decreasing stress on staff. Not making a nurse’s station central may minimize corridor traffic and include private meeting rooms for patients, visitors and healthcare professionals to keep conversations private.
Specifying Materials and Finishes:
The right materials and finishes can greatly impact the acoustic environment. Acoustical ceiling tiles most used in healthcare consist of glass fiber acoustical ceiling tiles. Covering these panels with a thin, anti-bacterial film and using a particle-free assembly can make acceptable for clean room applications, without sacrificing their sound absorbent qualities. Mineral fiber acoustical ceiling tiles have sound absorbent properties lower than glass fiber acoustical ceiling tiles. They can be used in spaces that require both sound absorption and isolation. Composite ceiling panels, which are a combination of glass fiber and mineral fiber, have high sound isolation and sound absorbency. Great for intensive care units. Wall surfaces are important for creating a better acoustic environment. Any breaches in a partition will result in a significant drop of acoustical performance. Best way to insure
wall performance, is by penetrating the ceiling membrane. Making sure to not place outlets back to back, lowered wall heights, air gaps, wall opening services and direct air duct runs will help the sound transfer through spaces to keep privacy and noise transfer to a minimum.
The use of surface mount, one-inch-thick wall panels or any other sound absorbing wall materials can absorb unwanted noise, fabric wrapped wall panels in areas that aren’t regular cleaning required and installing a sound absorbing wall material perpendicular to each other will also help reduce echoes in open areas.
Rubber is the most common flooring in a hospital. It has a less impact noise than something like vinyl, tile, or concrete. If you use carpet, it can reduce footsteps, but you have to be careful of where it is located due to sanitary reasons.
Meeting the Standards:
There have been several healthcare design guidelines released in recent years that have emphasized the importance of acoustics in healthcare environments. Along those guidelines are sound and vibration design guidelines for hospital and healthcare settings, 2010 FGI/ASHE guidelines for design and construction for healthcare facilities, green guide for healthcare and LEED for healthcare.