Noise is a significant problem in many hospitals. Sources include patients, staff and guests talking, as well as the cacophony produced by televisions, alarms, carts, medical equipment and mechanical systems.

 

While it’s true that noise can set the emotional tone for an environment, it causes more than just irritation. It can also elevate heart rate and blood pressure, increase muscle tension and gastric secretion and even suppress the immune system.

 

In addition, noise prevents patients from getting the rest they need to recover. While it’s not responsible for all awakenings, its contribution is significant. Sleep deprivation can weaken the immune system and lead to problems during the day, such as agitation, delirium and decreased tolerance to pain.

 

 

 

No wonder patient satisfaction surveys such as Press Ganey indicate that noise is the leading patient complaint by a two-to-one margin.

 

But patients are not the only ones affected. Though it might appear as though caregivers can become hardened to noise over time, no one is able to fully tune it out because our senses are designed to detect such changes in our environment. Noise makes it difficult to concentrate, causing stress and fatigue, and potentially affecting quality of care.

 

Speech privacy is also critical in a healthcare setting. Patients know that if they can overhear conversations occurring in neighboring areas, others can hear them as well, making them uncomfortable. Patients also have a right to auditory privacy, which has been officially recognized in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

 

Increasingly, hospitals are turning to the LogiSon Acoustic Network to address these issues. This networked sound masking technology introduces a soothing background sound that has been specifically engineered to cover up conversations and noise, while remaining comfortable and unobtrusive.

 

The LogiSon Acoustic Network also improves sleeping conditions. Its success lies in its ability to decrease the amount of change between the background sound level and any peaks. It’s this change, rather than the volume of the noise itself, that often determines whether or not patients will awaken. In fact, studies show that sound masking is the most successful method of improving sleep.

 

The LogiSon Acoustic Network is already in use in hundreds of millions of square feet of workplaces around the world and in hospitals such as Modesto Memorial. Here, it was the subject of a trial in patient rooms. Staff and patients noticed such a dramatic difference between the masked and unmasked areas that the trial resulted in a multi-floor installation.

 

We invite you to experience the results by arranging a small trial in your space. The products supplied for the purposes of the trial are complimentary, though our Representatives may charge a minimal fee for installation in some regions.

 

This trial can be run in an existing property or as part of a mock-up for a new space. It can then be evaluated subjectively by patients and staff and/or quantified by an acoustical consultant.

 

Contact us for more details.