Hospitals launch quiet campaigns to drown out noise of modern medicine

Hospitals are noisier than ever. Worldwide, sound levels inside hospitals average 72 decibels during the day and 60 decibels at night, which far exceeds the standard of 40 decibels or less, set by the World Health Organization.

Studies find that the clamor of modern medicine can harm both patients and staff. Unwanted sound wrecks sleep, raises stress levels, induces medical mistakes, and contributes to alarm fatigue, which occurs when monitors shriek so often they are ignored or turned off, causing safety issues.

In response, hospitals throughout Illinois and the U.S. are launching "quiet campaigns" that include eliminating intercom paging, replacing metal trash cans, installing sound-absorbing flooring and paneling, and dimming lights at night to remind staff to keep their voices down.

Full story

Source: Chicago Tribune

This week on The Weekly show, BD+C editors speak with AEC industry leaders from BK Facility Consulting, cove.tool, and HMC Architects about what two healthcare designers learned about the shortcomings—and happy surprises—of healthcare facilities in which they found themselves as patients, and how AEC firms can use machine learning to optimize design, cost, and sustainability, and prioritize efficiency protocols.

The Grand, a mixed-use project in Los Angeles

Market Data | Feb 24, 2021

2021 won’t be a growth year for construction spending, says latest JLL forecast

Predicts second-half improvement toward normalization next year.

Stantec & LIGHTGLASS Simulate Daylight in a Windowless Patient Space

Healthcare Facilities | Feb 18, 2021

The Weekly show, Feb 18, 2021: What patients want from healthcare facilities, and Post-COVID retail trends

This week on The Weekly show, BD+C editors speak with AEC industry leaders from JLL and Landini Associates about what patients want from healthcare facilities, based on JLL's recent survey of 4,015 patients, and making online sales work for a retail sector recovery.