Construction Specialties (CS), a leading manufacturer of commercial building products, has partnered with Chinook Acoustics to manufacture and distribute the HUSH Curtain®. With health and wellness being top-of-mind, this patented privacy curtain solution for hospital and medical bed bays promotes a quieter environment for healing and recovery.

Third-Party Testing — Reverberation Time Prediction Methodology

Hospitals can be noisy. Middle-of-the-night vitals checks, overhead paging, and staff members’ conversations (the most common cause of noise disruption) can all contribute to uncomfortable noise levels. Reflective noise in healthcare facilities and hospitals remains an industry concern when improving patient care and increasing privacy and communication. The HUSH Curtain’s patented sound-blocking technology can greatly contribute to the enhancement of quiet healthcare settings.

Research shows that the ability to absorb acoustical energy increases speech intelligibility between a doctor and patient. This also increases the privacy of the conversation because it reduces the overall noise environment as well as absorb noise between stations.

Reverberation time (RT60), which is expressed in seconds, is the duration required for the sound pressure level in a room to decay by 60 decibels (dB) after the sound generation has ceased. Excessive reverberation times are shown to impact communication and the overall acoustic characteristics within a room.

“Tested by third-party scientists, the HUSH Curtain, when installed, showed a seventy percent improvement in reverberation time,” said Jason Ellis, General Manager at Construction Specialties. “The HUSH Curtain provides privacy by incorporating proprietary acoustical panels that help absorb sound. This patented design softens and muffles noise by slowing the reflective velocity within a space.”

Harnessing Simple Technology for Positive Outcomes

Installing the HUSH Curtain system is a relatively simple change facilities can make to promote a quiet and healing environment, especially in their PACU, NICU, pre- and post-op, ER, and patient rooms. Reducing unnecessary noise can improve a patient’s perception of their environment, which, in turn, may improve HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) satisfaction scores. The HUSH Curtain is HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) compliant under the standard privacy rule that encourages the promotion of quieter staff/patient communications, which better ensures a patient’s privacy. 

Safe and Accessible Cleaning and Maintenance Features with Design Options

Available in various fabric and track options, the HUSH Curtain meets both functional and aesthetic requirements, and even works with existing track. Fabric choices include a vinyl-coated Clean-in-Place™ option, in which the acoustical panels are sewn in and curtains do not need to be removed to be cleaned, reducing laundering time and costs. The traditional fabric option houses the acoustical panels in built-in pockets that allow for easy removal of the panels prior to laundering.

For more information about the patented Construction Specialties’ HUSH Curtain product line, visit here.