Case studies and research on how acoustics and sound affect healthcare

Since 1999, we have initiated, gathered and done research to understand how sound affects people. In healthcare, we have learned that a good sound environment has a positive effect on both patients and staff, and we have learned that acoustic solutions should fit both hygiene demands, support the activities in the rooms and fulfil the end-users’ needs.

Below you can read about some of our findings.

Further reading on this topic

Acoustic design guide: Telehealth

This leaflet contains a quick and accessible introduction to the most important acoustic design aspects of rooms used for telehealth – meaning rooms with video and audio equipment.

Good acoustics reduce the need for medication

This case study investigates if there is a correlation between acoustics and medication intake in an intensive coronary heart unit.

Noise causes problems in elderly care

This leaflet includes knowledge about the elderly ear, dementia and hearing loss. It also includes a case study in a dementia clinic.

Noise causes sleep disruption for critical care patients

This leaflet includes insights on how the sleep quality of critically ill patients is affected by sound and what staff knows about the topic.

Good acoustics reduce stress in operating rooms

This case study is done in Denmark and investigates staff performance under different acoustic conditions.

Modular operating rooms - Sundsvall Regional Hospital

This case study discusses how off-site construction healthcare facilities may have issues regarding acoustic performance.

Impact of noise in healthcare - A research summary

This extensive brochure contains a lot of different research on how noise and acoustics affect healthcare.