Do-No-Harm Design  

Following the events of 2020, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) marshaled design professionals to the forefront of the radically changed public space. “Architects are uniquely positioned to help address many of the health challenges our society faces today─including COVID-19,” the AIA announced. An increasing body of practice-based evidence does demonstrate the impact that design decisions have on human health for individuals and communities. By using evidence-based approaches, designers can mitigate pollutants that harm public health, promote physical activity that lowers the risk of chronic diseases, alleviate anxiety and stress, and improve emotional well-being to enhance quality of life. The movement towards flexible spaces also allows healthcare facilities to adapt to shifting demands.

A range of products stands at the ready to support design professionals in meeting client goals for healthcare facilities. Good design can support health and well-being. Employing healthy materials and finishes on a project also makes a measurable, positive impact on the health of people interacting with the building. Understanding the ability of materials and products to support health in design allows design professionals to achieve transformational outcomes very quickly.

Photo courtesy of Doublespace, Photography; Rockfon

Modern healthcare facilities must exhibit conceptual strengths that solve aesthetic and social concerns as well as the necessary functional and sustainability concerns associated with such a setting. Pictured here is Casey House, a specialty hospital in Toronto.

EXPLORING NATURE IN PRODUCT TECHNOLOGY

Natural Material and Performance: Incorporating Stone Wool

Ensuring a healthy indoor environment is a priority when designing or renovating any space, especially considering that people today spend up to 90% of their time indoors. Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) focuses on the safety, cleanliness, and health and well-being of the buildings’ occupants. Key components to delivering IEQ include acoustics, air quality, and daylighting. These IEQ requirements are only heightened for healthcare facilities.

Delivering on these ambitions hinges on the use of quality building materials. The choice of material is critical to deliver both a healthy space and to foster occupant health and well-being. Quality building materials can help create resilient buildings and avoid sick building syndrome, which impacts everyone.

Photo courtesy of Dero Sanford, ThinkDero; Rockfon

IEQ requirements are only heightened for healthcare facilities. PGA Premier Medical Plaza, High Point, N.C.

Photo courtesy of Inpro

New bendable track products allow for operation of privacy curtains at a more-comfortable decibel level of conversational speech (70 dBA). Not only does the track minimize unwanted noise, it also conforms to unique designs, allowing for better control of the space and movement for care.

One such building material is stone wool. Manufactured from naturally occurring basalt rock, the basalt is melted and spun into fine fibers to form a lightweight and resilient material to meet many of today’s demanding needs in the built environment. A specific application for stone wool is in acoustic ceiling tiles. Highly sound absorptive, hydrophobic, naturally fire resistant, and providing no sustenance to mold and bacteria, as tested to ASTM D3273, stone wool ceiling tiles can play a vital role in delivering indoor air quality. Stone wool ceiling tiles and panels designed specifically for the healthcare environment achieve UL Greenguard Gold for low VOCs, helping achieve the overall design and health and well-being goals for many projects.

One of stone wool’s natural properties is its ability to absorb sound and help deliver acoustic comfort. Acoustic comfort refers to an indoor environment that is conducive to providing speech intelligibility, speech privacy, low distractions and annoyance, and good sound quality. In healthcare environments noise control is a very important consideration for the recovery of patients, as “unwanted sound” can increase heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration rate. In hospitals, studies have shown that noise decreases patient and staff satisfaction and increases patient average length of stay and even 30-day readmissions rates.

As part of their pay-for-performance program, the amount of financial reimbursement provided by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to healthcare providers for the care of patients depends in part on the facility scores as rated by patients using post-discharge satisfaction surveys. Historically, the lowest scoring metric has been quietness at night. In other words, it is known that a noisy healing environment results in poorer medical outcomes and greater costs. Therefore, CMS financially rewards providers with quiet patient environments.

In addition to improving medical outcomes and financial performance, good acoustics are federally mandated through the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996. HIPAA’s Oral Privacy Rule requires healthcare providers to take reasonable actions to ensure patient medical and financial information is kept private even when spoken.

Another critical performance consideration for healthcare settings is resistance to mold and moisture accumulation, which are some of the greatest threats to ceiling life. With no need for added performance chemicals, such as antimicrobials and flame retardants, stone wool ceiling tiles are ideal for healthcare spaces. Stone wool offers exceptional performance and is tested to key standards such as ASTM D3273 Resistance to the Growth of Mold on the Surface of Interior Coatings and ASTM C1338 Determining the Fungi Growth Resistance of Insulation Materials and Facings. They are also supported with a comprehensive range of sustainability and transparency documentation including Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), Health Product Declarations (HPDs), and Declare labels, helping the client and architect achieve their ambitions goals.

Material Design: Controlling the Hospital Environment to Promote Healing

It takes a team approach and fresh thinking to tackle the factors making today’s hospitals twice as noisy as they were 50 years ago. With the advances in material and technologies, the design community is accruing numerous tools in their kit to bring quiet to healing.

Historically, Florence Nightingale is credited with focusing attention on the impact of noise in 1859, writing, “Unnecessary noise, or noise that creates an expectation in the mind, is that which hurts a patient.” The auditory environment of the 21st-century hospital is substantially louder, more complex, and more difficult to control than that of Nightingale’s time. An article in the Boston Globe on noise in hospitals reported that noise levels have doubled since the 1960s. Numerous reports and studies point to the harmful effects of noise, which include fractured sleep and slower healing. Sleep interruption caused by noise has a significant negative impact on health and healing. Intensive care psychosis or delirium has been directly linked to environmental stressors, including noise, sleep deprivation, and social isolation.

The noise generated by privacy curtains is often overlooked. The opening and closing of privacy curtains in a patient’s room contributes to noise levels. Traditional aluminum track noise ranks somewhere between the decibels generated by a busy residential road (80 dBA) and the inside of a bus (90 dBA). Advances in curtain track, which allow the track to be bendable, allow for much quiet operation. New bendable track operates at the more comfortable level of conversational speech (70 dBA). While there is no single silver bullet solution to reducing noise, even privacy curtain track can be designed to act within a multidisciplinary approach, creating a culture of quiet for healing.

By addressing small elements, like a curtain track, healthcare spaces can promote higher IEQ. Since even minute elements can positively impact IEQ, what is the potential when larger building components are scrutinized? Walls are one of the largest elements in an interior. While products exist to help minimize contamination and damage in a healthcare setting, what if walls could also motivate and encourage patients on their healing journey? There is an increasing body of research that shows the use of artwork in healthcare settings leads to improved patient well-being and better outcomes. In addition, the rise in awareness of biophilia and its impact on the calmness and mental state of patients also points to the importance of such elements in healing environments.

By incorporating images on durable PETG (polyethylene terephthalate glycol) wall protection, walls in hospitals are protected from damage, and yet serve as a powerful canvas to inspire patients as they heal. Therefore, walls become another material with dual purpose: safety and holistic healing.

Material Advances: Fixtures

Any time the news is filled with reports of viruses spreading, people become hyper-aware of the possibility of disease transfer through public spaces, particularly restrooms. At any point in time, the surface of a typical sink faucet can harbor germs like the common cold, E-coli, influenza, salmonella, streptococcus, and typhus. According to an article published by the Mayo Clinic, viruses like colds and flu can survive for several hours on a hard surface. And according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), staph like MRSA can live on a surface for weeks.

Photo courtesy of Chicago Faucets

Restrooms can play a central role in keeping occupants healthy, if properly designed.

What can facility managers do to promote the health and safety of their occupants and visitors, particularly in higher risk healthcare facilities? Touchless faucets with electronic sensors eliminate the need to touch the faucet to operate it. A no-touch faucet prevents users from leaving behind and picking up germs on faucet handles. Selecting sensor-operated faucets brings additional options, too. Facility managers can manually set faucets for a 60-second scrub mode, a feature that helps hospitals, doctor’s offices, and other medical facilities to encourage their caregivers to follow the CDC handwashing guidelines.

Additionally, new faucets offer built-in, ASSE 1070-compliant thermostatic mixing valves, a practical add-on that helps prevent scalding. Alternately, a single-supply fixture that dispenses water from the building’s pre-tempered water supply can be specified to protect against scalding. Advances in technology allow touchless faucets to provide the ultimate in convenience and comfort, helping to prevent the spread of germs that can result in healthcare-acquired infections and providing the best care to patients and staff.

Photo courtesy of Chicago Faucets

Extruded aluminum trim can be effectively used for smooth transitions between different cladding panel types at inside and outside corners, edges, and other locations.

APPLYING ADVANCES TO HEALTHCARE FACILITIES

Updating Restrooms to Reduce Risk

Fixture Strategies that Eliminate the Spread of Germs

When providing life-sustaining care to the patients at a facility, the building and its components can’t afford downtime. Every piece of equipment needs to meet the highest standards of quality and reliability. Faucets and fittings specially designed for the demands of the healthcare community must be able to meet the highest hygiene standards while also offering the highest level of safety for patients and staff.

Properly designed, a restroom minimizes hand contact with fixtures and is easy to clean. Older buildings with dated components might not meet current sanitary standards. However, advances in products and materials are allowing for easy adaptation or selection of fixtures to minimize hygiene concerns.

Photo courtesy of Chicago Faucets

Today’s touchless faucets are also durable and safe, and certain ranges of touchless faucets are also fully programmable, offering different operating modes for different environments. Touchless faucets with pre-set water temperatures and scald protection are ideal for ADA compliance.

Technology makes it possible for people to never touch a thing when using a restroom. From touch-free toilet flushing to throwing a used paper towel into the waste receptacle, visitors can enjoy an entirely hands-off restroom experience. Quick changes include soap dispensers equipped with motion sensors, which eliminate the need for touching a potentially germ-laden surface. Consider foam dispensers that use as little soap as possible to get hands clean. John Ross, MD, FIDSA, contributing editor of Harvard Health Publishing’s Harvard Health Blog, cites recent research demonstrating that paper towels are still the most hygienic way to dry hands. Touchless towel dispensers don’t have to be electronic. Some models simply dispense one towel at a time, which the user can release without touching the unit. After each towel is taken, a fresh towel is released for the next user.

Porous surfaces hold moisture, a perfect breeding ground for germs. As a moderate upgrade, consider replacing drywall and paint with ceramic tile or stainless steel, and vinyl flooring with tile. The American Restroom Association suggests using curved tiles in junctures between the floor and wall rather than butting flat tiles against the wall, eliminating the 90-degree angle where dirt and germs can collect.

Faucet handles are the greatest source of germs on any manual faucet. The CDC provides very thorough guidelines on handwashing to prevent the spread of germs and disease. The CDC suggests scrubbing hands with soap for at least 20 seconds.1 If a person touches the same handle to turn the faucet on and off, they risk contaminating their hands again. They may transfer germs back to their hands or pick up germs left by other patrons. Washing for 20 seconds won’t protect against recontamination.

Antimicrobial faucet handles are a good strategy to decrease the spread of germs resulting from contact with handles. The antimicrobial technology uses a coated surface to inhibit the growth of microorganisms on surfaces and is particularly effective at stopping fungal growth. The coating also lowers the porous nature of surfaces, keeping handles cleaner than those of typical faucets. Antimicrobial handles are practical and budget-friendly. Depending on manufacturer, components may be interchangeable, allowing for replacement of handles on manual faucets only, as opposed to buying and installing new faucets.

Additional technologies to ensure hygienic practices are metering faucets and scrub sinks. Metering faucets run for an amount of time programmed by the designer or facility manager. After that time, the faucet shuts off. Metering faucets lengthen the time people spend washing their hands. If water runs for 20 seconds or more, it encourages people to wash their hands for that amount of time. Signage near the faucets educates users in critical public safety roles that govern the settings on metered faucets.

In hospitals, scrub sinks can include metered faucets that are set to run for the amount of time appropriate to the hospital staff’s tasks. For instance, in surgical areas, water can run for longer periods. These periods can be set to match mandatory scrubbing requirements. Scrub sinks with metered run-times make managing scrub time simple. Hospital staff won’t need to count, sing songs, or watch clocks to measure scrubbing time. Metered faucets also offer water-saving benefits. Facility managers determine how long they are on or choose from predetermined settings. They encourage efficient use. Metered faucets shut off automatically, making it impossible for a user to walk away and leave the faucet running for hours at a time.

Touchless faucets overcome the hygiene challenges of faucet handles by eliminating physical interaction for operation. A no-touch faucet prevents users from leaving behind and picking up germs on faucet handles. Advanced sensing controls allow touchless faucets to operate the way users expect, with no run-ons or ghosting. Today’s touchless faucets are also durable and safe, and certain ranges of touchless faucets are also fully programmable, offering different operating modes for different environments. Touchless faucets with preset water temperatures and scald protection are ideal for ADA compliance. Users do not have to manipulate any handles or controls to wash their hands.

Fixture Strategies That Protect Users

A healthcare facility without anti-scald faucets and valves places members of the community at risk of first, second, and even third-degree burns. Children, the elderly, and those with certain disabilities are the most vulnerable to getting burned by water that is too hot. Approximately 20% of all burn injuries are from scalding incidents, and nearly 75% of scalding cases in children are preventable (John Hopkins Medical).

Photo courtesy of Chicago Faucets

Scald protection and temperature controls shield the most vulnerable users from scalding, providing safety and peace of mind.

Bacteria can grow in water with temperatures below 120ºF. That can leave water unsafe for use. When water heaters are at 140ºF, the water inside the tank is free from harmful bacteria. However, water at that temperature can lead to second or third-degree burns with less than five minutes of exposure. Water at 155ºF will burn within one second of contact, and at 160ºF can scald a person in under half a second of contact with skin. Installing scald protection products in healthcare buildings will not only improve public safety, but also will ensure that the facility remains compliant with federal, state, and local mandates. Anti-scald faucets and valves are devices within plumbing fixtures that prevent water from getting too hot. Federal, state, and local municipalities typically mandate these devices according to building codes to help keep the public safe by preventing painful burn injuries. There are three types of anti-scald devices, including thermostatic mixing (Type T), pressure-balanced (Type P), and combination fittings (Type T/P).

• Thermostatic Mixing (Type T): Type T faucets and valves have a thermostatic element inside of the unit. The building manager or service technician never needs to recalibrate the fixture, even if the temperature on the building's water heater is changed. These fixtures and fittings are somewhat more expensive than Type P models. However, Type T devices are worth the added expense because these faucets and valves accommodate a higher water heater temperature setting. This ensures that the water is hot enough to kill bacteria that could be in the water supplies.
• Pressure-Balanced (Type P): This type is the least expensive of the anti-scald models available. It allows control of water pressure using a piston or diaphragm inside the fixture. These components move in reaction to changes in water pressure. These protection devices balance the pressure between cold and hot water flows and are generally not expensive. The device senses when someone is using insufficient amounts of cold water, risking scalding, and adjusts as the water temperature changes. It does this by limiting the amount of hot water that can move through the chamber of the fixture. One downside of a Type P is that it must be recalibrated if the water heater’s temperature is changed.
• Combination (Type T/P): When installing a Type T/P anti-scald fitting, the benefits of both technologies are captured. The pistons within the fixture balance water pressure while the thermostatic element reacts to the temperature of the water. These devices are more durable, capable of withstanding the wear and tear of high-traffic facilities.

Advancements in fixtures for healthcare facilities allow manufacturers to craft durable, commercial-grade faucets, fixtures, and fittings that not only withstand the abuse of heavy use but also offer safety features like anti-scald and touchless technology, keeping everyone who visits, works at, or lives in the facilities safe.

Using Ceiling Tiles from Natural Materials to Deliver Performance

Achieving Acoustic Control

Just as the air occupants breathe surrounds and affects them, so, too, do the sounds they hear. Hearing is the only sense that cannot be voluntarily shut off, even during sleep. Sound control therefore becomes a critical issue, particularly in a high-volume healthcare clinic. Loud and overlapping sounds, even at a conversational level, quickly become unwanted noise. Noise can cause distraction, confusion, agitation and can interfere with sleep. It can mean that a healthcare professional loses focus and inaccurately records critical information. It can mean that a nurse becomes desensitized to auditory monitoring alarms and is slow to react to a patient in need. It can mean that a patient with compromised hearing does not understand a doctor’s instructions. It can also mean that a private conversation between a family and a medical professional is overheard, violating HIPAA rules.

Photo courtesy of mocphoto, Michael O'Callahan; Rockfon

A product's inherent qualities should also be durable, allowing for longevity and sustainability of the structure. Permanente Mission Bay Medical Offices, San Francisco.

The evidence-based design recommendation from the Center for Health Design is to “select high-performance sound-absorbing ceiling tiles with a minimum noise reduction coefficient (NRC) rating of 0.90.” This will result in “reduced patient and staff stress, reduced patient sleep deprivation and increased patient satisfaction.” The Green Globes Assessment Protocol for Commercial Buildings (ANSI/GBI 01-2019) requires ceilings to have an NRC rating of 0.90 or higher in all patient care areas and medication safety zones. High performing stone wool ceiling tiles and panels comply with these minimum absorption levels recommended by the Center for Health Design and required in the standards.

Designers can additionally engage full-height walls or plenum barriers and the appropriate floor-ceiling assemblies to effectively optimize sound insulation or blocking between rooms. Guidelines published by the Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI) for the design and construction of healthcare facilities, which have become mandatory in many states, require that walls between patient rooms, exam/treatment rooms, and operating rooms be full height from floor to floor or roof above and have a Sound Transmission Class (STC) rating between 40-50. Floor-ceiling assemblies need to have an STC 50 rating as well. A stone wool acoustic ceiling suspended below a moderate weight concrete floor slab can increase the STC rating from the mid 40s to STC 52, complying with the FGI guidelines.

Finally, designers can look to safeguard background sound levels as properly balanced: neither too quiet or too loud. Using the existing air turbulence from the heating and cooling systems or an electronic sound masking system can ensure that there is enough ambient sound to mask or cover up all the unavoidable beeps, coughs, and conversations. Employing stone wool acoustic ceilings and selecting the appropriate mechanical devices in the plenum above the ceiling can ensure that background noise levels do not exceed the maximum limits listed in the FGI Guidelines or other building certification systems such as the WELL Building Standard or LEED.

Natural Properties, Naturally

Ceiling tiles using stone wool create a product portfolio that is well placed to tackle many of today’s biggest sustainability and development challenges. Stone wool ceiling tiles offer carefully designed, innovative, and sustainable solutions for occupant health and wellbeing, comfort, and safety.

Supported with a 30-year warranty, stone wool tiles are durable and dimensionally stable, don’t absorb moisture, will not sag, and do not support the growth of mold and mildew.

Fire-rated products are a necessity for healthcare projects. Stone wool is a naturally fire-resistant material, which means that added flame retardants are not needed. Stone wool tiles for healthcare environments achieve a Fire Class A, with a Flame Spread Index as low as 0 (when tested to UL723/ASTM E84) and Smoke Developed Index (UL) of 0.

“First, do no harm,” is an often-quoted mantra in medicine. It also rings true for the design and construction teams responsible for building the essential medical and healthcare facilities in their communities. Safety and health are the top priorities in evaluating materials and finishes for these spaces. This includes not only their composition, but also their cleanliness. WER’s director of interiors, Lauren Dickey, NCIDQ, ASID, agreed and added, “In today’s medical facilities, infection control is incredibly important, and ─cleanability is huge.” Where infection control is the priority, specially treated medical and hygienic ceiling panel surface finishes for stone wool allow cleaning with water and some diluted disinfectants. In some cases, specially treated surface finishes on stone wool ceiling panels allow for more intensive cleaning, following a defined protocol. “Knowing that you can wipe them down easily, that they’re not going to sag, and that they’re not going to fall out of the ceiling─really gave us confidence in moving forward with the products that we selected,” said WER’s director of interiors, Lauren Dickey, NCIDQ, ASID.

Stone wool ceiling panels produced within standards for the medical field can be classified to Bacteriological Class B5 and B10. They have a low particle emission resulting in Clean Room Classification ISO Class 5. Stone wool ceiling systems do not absorb water, moisture, or humidity. The inherent qualities of these ceiling panels also resist mold, mildew, and other potentially harmful microorganisms. Stone wool panels earn UL Environment’s GREENGUARD Gold Certification for low chemical emissions into indoor air during product usage. The certification process ensures that a product is suitable for environments, such as healthcare facilities, and takes into consideration safety factors that may impact those with vulnerable immune systems, children, and seniors. Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) refers to the air quality within buildings and structures, especially as it relates to the health and comfort of building occupants. Understanding and controlling common pollutants indoors can help reduce the risk of indoor health concerns and enhance the lives of occupants.

Since buildings can─and should─remain standing for many decades, it’s essential that the materials used to construct them will last as well. The quality of a physical space or indoor built environment is influenced by so many different factors. Color, light, and materials all impact the character of the space. Health effects from indoor air pollutants may be experienced soon after exposure, or possibly, years later. Building materials themselves can be a primary source of indoor pollutants. Selecting natural materials helps ensure quality indoor air.

Harnessing Image and Sound to Promote Healing

There is an increasing body of research demonstrating that the use of artwork in healthcare settings leads to improved patient well-being and better health outcomes. Additionally, investigation into biophilia and its impact on the calmness and mental state of patients points to the incorporation of such elements in healing environments.

Photo courtesy of Inpro

The inherent human attraction to the natural world has spurred innovation in the architectural community. Designers are capturing endless opportunities to reconnect occupants with nature by incorporating biophilic elements in their designs.

The Power of Art and Biophilia to Achieve Health

In 1984, a landmark paper by Dr. Roger Ulrich helped establish the field of evidence-based design. Ulrich’s study found that patients who had hospital rooms with a window required less pain medication and recovered at faster rates than patients in rooms without windows. Since that initial publication, the field of evidence-based design has expanded and numerous studies are revealing that artwork in patient rooms does create tangible benefits, including promoting healing, relieving patients’ pain and stress, and increasing their overall well-being.

One term being applied to the application of artwork in healthcare is “positive distraction.” Robert Niemenen, writing in Interiors and Sources3, points out that while artwork is just one of several factors that can play a role in improved outcomes, art can serve as a contrast to the often somber work being done in many healthcare settings. “Art is a counterpoint to the complexity of healthcare design,” said Cheryl S. Durst, executive vice president and CEO of IIDA. “Incorporating art and artisanal pieces into healthcare environments humanizes the experience, creates a sense of calm, and presents an opportunity to welcome others into these spaces.”4

Humans have an innate affinity for the life-supporting aspects of the natural world. This attraction to nature is referred to as biophilia, literally meaning "love of nature." The inherent attraction to the natural world has spurred innovation in the architectural community. Designers are capturing endless opportunities to reconnect occupants with nature by incorporating biophilic elements in their designs.

Healthcare, by necessity, takes place in a controlled, interior space. Patients in healthcare settings often experience high stress, either due to their actual condition or just the difficulties of diagnostic procedures and testing. Ulrich’s classic study, which measured the influence of sceneries on patients recovering from gallbladder surgery, found differences between what patients viewed. Certain patients with windows had views to nature, whereas others looked at brick walls. With all other variables equal, Ulrich found accelerated recovery rates and reduced stress for the patients who had views of nature. On average, patients whose windows overlooked a scene of nature were released after 7.96 days, compared with the 8.71 days it took for those patients whose views were of the hospital’s exterior walls.

Utilizing nature as a healing distraction benefits all ages of patients. By allowing the lines between interior and exterior to blur, the benefits of the outdoors can be brought inside, connecting patients with nature to improve the user experience in healthcare environments.

Controlling Noise in Healthcare Spaces

Long-term exposure to noise has been connected to a host of negative health impacts, from sleep disturbance and annoyance to the less-studied impacts on cardiovascular health, the metabolic system, and the cognitive development of children, notes Debra Levin.2 A 2020 briefing by the European Environment Agency, titled “Health Risks Caused by Environmental Noise in Europe,” estimated that environmental noise contributes to 48,000 new cases of ischemic heart disease a year as well as 12,000 premature deaths.

In highly sensitive environments such as healthcare, the effect can be even more significant, aggravating patients’ health issues and impacting staff performance. With advances in material and product technology, the design community has a growing arsenal of products and solutions at their fingertips to help in the fight against noise in healthcare environments.

In her study, “Creating a Culture of Safety: Reducing Hospital Noise” , Susan E. Mazer, Ph.D., suggests a multi-disciplinary team approach in tackling noise issues. Dr. Mazer stresses that hospitals need to create a “culture of quiet.” One of the first places to strategize is evaluating how to reduce manmade sources. This includes location of nurses’ stations and non-patient areas, allowing for interaction among caregivers while keeping noise in patient rooms to a minimum. Managing and streamlining the chaotic feedback of device alarms and paging systems is also critical. Mazer recommends forming a multidisciplinary team charged with developing strategies to monitor and reduce noise.

While there are no single solutions to immediately remedy noise levels in healthcare, tackling the noise of ubiquitous privacy curtains is another tool that helps secure acoustic comfort. Sleep interruption caused by noise has a significant negative impact on health and healing. Opening and closing of privacy curtains in a patient’s room does contribute to noise levels: traditional aluminum track ranks somewhere between a busy residential road (80 dBA) and the inside of a bus (90 dBA) when decibel levels are monitored. However, new bendable track products allow for operation at a more-comfortable decibel level of conversational speech (70 dBA). Not only does the track minimize unwanted noise, it also conforms to unique designs, allowing for better control of the space and movement for care.

In her study, “Creating a Culture of Safety: Reducing Hospital Noise,”3 Susan E. Mazer, Ph.D., suggests a multidisciplinary team approach in tackling noise issues. Dr. Mazer stresses that hospitals need to create a “culture of quiet.” One of the first places to strategize is evaluating how to reduce manmade sources. This includes location of nurses’ stations and non-patient areas, allowing for interaction among caregivers while keeping noise in patient rooms to a minimum. Managing and streamlining the chaotic feedback of device alarms and paging systems is also critical. Mazer recommends forming a multidisciplinary team charged with developing strategies to monitor and reduce noise.

While there are no single solutions to immediately remedy noise levels in healthcare, tackling the noise of ubiquitous privacy curtains is another tool that helps secure acoustic comfort. Sleep interruption caused by noise has a significant negative impact on health and healing. Opening and closing of privacy curtains in a patient’s room does contribute to noise levels: traditional aluminum track ranks somewhere between a busy residential road (80 dBA) and the inside of a bus (90 dBA) when decibel levels are monitored. However, new bendable track products allow for operation at a more-comfortable decibel level of conversational speech (70 dBA). Not only does the track minimize unwanted noise, it also conforms to unique designs, allowing for better control of the space and movement for care.

END NOTES

“When and How to Wash Your Hands.” The Center for Disease Control. Accessed 9/23/2022.
Debra Levin. “Listen Up: Controlling Noise In Healthcare Spaces”. Healthcare Design. June 7, 2022 accessed on 9/22/2022.
Susan E. Mazer, Ph.D. “Creating a Culture of Safety: Reducing Hospital Noise.” Biomedical Instrumentation & Technology. September/October 2012, p. 350-355. Accessed 9/22/2022.

Amanda Voss, MPP, is an author, editor, and policy analyst. Writing for multiple publications, she has also served as the managing editor for Energy Design Update.