acoustics


H


ealthcare facilities should provide a therapeutic environment where the overall


design approach contributes to the process of healing, rather than simply being a location where healing takes place. However, as hospitals have


become busier, with more patients, more staff, more visitors, and a wealth of technology; noise levels have greatly intensified. “It has been reported that hospital


noise levels have increased by 5dB per decade – with some recorded noise levels actually exceeding the recommended maximum,” explains Matthew Sexton, commercial sector market manager at British Gypsum. “This, combined with the fact that


many hospitals are designed and built with hard, sound-reflecting surfaces, means acoustic conditions are made worse as these enable


Sound bites!


Good acoustic environments can make a fundamental difference to the way people experience healthcare


noise to reverberate over large areas and into patient rooms.” A study conducted by Busch-


Vishniac et al in 2005 found that sound pressure levels have risen significantly and consistently since 1960. On average, daytime levels have


risen 0.38 dB and night-time levels by 0.42 dB year on year.


The best defence Noise pollution of this kind is known to have a severe impact on patient health and wellbeing, elevating psychological and physiological stress, which can be indicated by anxiety, annoyance and even physical symptoms such as increased heart rate and raised blood pressure. Prolonged loud noises can also


lead to memory problems, impaired pain tolerance, and perceptions of isolation. In one study, heart-attack patients


exhibited higher pulse amplitudes in a poor acoustic environment than ➤


healthcaredm.co.uk 27


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