Sound and the modern hospital

Sometimes the obvious gets studied. This study's findings show that hospital noise levels have grown steadily over the past five decades, disturbing patients and staff members, raising the risk of medical errors and hindering efforts to modernize hospitals with speech recognition systems. Some studies even indicate that excessive noise can slow the pace of healing and contribute to stress and burnout among hospital workers.

Now that hospitals are competing for patients, they are looking for the competitive advantage. This means that a hospital that reduces its noise level may improve satisfaction and outcomes. Researchers say, "A noisy intensive care unit introduces patient, family and staff dissatisfaction. It has also been reported that noise can contribute to lapses in short-term memory, which could then introduce safety concerns. "

Check out the study by Johns Hopkins researchers and learn more about James West who "turned a tiny microphone into a very big career. The Hopkins research professor has already revolutionized the field of electroacoustics. Now he's setting his sights on medicine, the Internet, and beyond."