why acoustics are essential to improving hospitals
better sound, better healthcare
Despite the best efforts of healthcare staff to project calmness around the clock, noise in healthcare centres such as hospitals, can reach excessive levels. This represents a risk to patients and staff. There are lots of contributions to noisy environments in hospitals such as chatter in waiting rooms, staff and emergency patients rushing past, machines bleeping and the general hustle and bustle of hospital life. However, by implementing acoustic solutions, hospital managers can make healthcare spaces a calmer place to recover and work in.
the importance of calm hospitals
Excess noise levels can be a source of distraction and irritation anywhere, but this can have dangerous consequences in healthcare settings. Hospitals should be calm places; as a serene environment benefits patients and visitors. Hospitals can be anxious places, and having the correct acoustics creates a better setting for staff to operate in. There are also sensitive conversations to be had, so to protect patient confidentiality, doctors often need to converse at a low volume that prevents others overhearing.
There are also specific hospital sections where low sound volumes are particularly important. Neonatal intensive care units need to have low volume acoustics, as excess noise can harm the growth and development of preterm infants. Loud noises can take a toll on parents spending time with their new babies. Similarly, effective noise management in the operating room is vital. The stress caused by excess noise can reduce focus, which could lead to suboptimal patient care and post-operation complications.
health impacts from loud environments
People’s health can actually suffer from long term exposure to noisy environments. In Britain, somewhere around a million workers will often find themselves in environments loud enough to put their hearing at risk, and 14,000 have suffered hearing problems as a result of their work.
Other potential health impacts include increased heart rate and blood pressure, raising the prospect of serious health problems further down the line. The high number of hours healthcare staff spend at their workplace puts them particularly at risk if excess noise isn’t dealt with using acoustic solutions. Residents spending multiple days in hospital likely have enough health concerns on their plate, without having to worry about their exposure to high noise levels due to lack of the hospital’s acoustic solutions.
SonaSpray use in hospital acoustics
Good bedside manner isn’t the only way to bring a level of calmness to hospitals. There are actions that can be taken to cut out noise and make healthcare spaces far less stress-ridden environments.
Often there’s a focus on behavioural changes, like applying a ‘no-talking’ rule in certain areas of the building or at certain times but these are limited in impact compared to the results that can be achieved with changes to environmental design. By improving the acoustics of hospitals, the noise and stress levels associated with healthcare can be mitigated against.
SonaSpray is an acoustic spray that can be applied to almost any surface in hospitals, typically at a lower cost than alternatives like fixed acoustic panels.
Instead of reflecting sound energy, SonaSpray absorbs it, reducing the time that noise reverberates around a space and lowering the volume. Applied in a hospital setting, it means quieter environments where doctors, nurses and other healthcare staff are free to conduct their work without unnecessary stress. Equally, patients benefit from an environment that helps rather than hinders their recovery by keeping things nice and calm.
SonaSpray’s easy application also means it can be implemented in particularly noise-sensitive areas, like neonatal intensive care units or operation theatres, to ensure that hospitals are able to deliver the best care possible. By protecting against the ill-effects of noisy environments, SonaSpray ensures that hospitals remain a place that people go to get better, not worse.
To find out more about how SonaSpray can lower noise levels in your hospital, contact us today.