Curing The Noise Epidemic

Facility design does not stop when the fixed architectural and acoustical components are in place. Spaces live and breathe with the people who reside in them. Research and examples show that noise — auditory clutter — thrives on itself in hospitals. Whether the result of the wrong conversation in the wrong place or the right conversation in an unfortunate place, talk mixed with sounds of technology is shown to cause its own negative symptoms. Noise contributes to heightened anxiety and stress, medical errors, staff burnout, non-compliance with the dictates of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and sleep deprivation. This paper offers ideas on how to reduce noise by design of the dynamic environment – equipment, technology, and staff protocols.