Longer hospital stays, higher readmission rates, unnecessary medical errors, high stress among staff — these are just a few of the consequences of unwanted noise in healthcare settings. It is estimated that ambient noise levels in healthcare facilities have dramatically increased since 1972. In a UK survey conducted by the National Health Service, 40 percent of hospital patients cited noise was a major annoyance during their stay—outranking other factors such as cleanliness, quality of food, privacy and amount of staff. Additionally, new research indicates that the risk of a heart attack increases when measured noise levels exceed 65 decibels.
The good news? There are solutions. Join me on Wednesday, May 21 at 2 p.m. EST for a one-hour webinar dedicated to improving acoustics in healthcare settings. You can register for free here and earn AIA and USGBC credit.
Specifically, the Ceilings in the Healthcare Segment course will cover:
- How evidence-based design is driving healthcare facility construction
- Strategies for optimizing indoor environments for the best patient outcomes
- The role of sound attenuation in protecting patient privacy
- LEED® for Healthcare as it relates to ceilings and acoustics
- Facility Guidelines Institute guidelines for ceilings in healthcare environments
The simple truth is that there is no excuse for poor acoustics in healthcare settings. Solutions for better acoustical control not only exist but are in reach — however, we need to ban together to truly make a difference for patients and hospital staff alike. To that end, we recently launched the “Down with Decibels” campaign and encourage you to join the movement.