Frequent disruptions can actually cause harm to patients, according to an article on The New York Times website.
In many hospitals, the noise and light levels are not conducive for sleep. Plus, nurses and others wake patients to give medications, take vitals, draw blood or perform tests and checkups.
Some hospitals are trying to allow patients to get more rest. To reduce noise, for instance, Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston has installed rubber floors in some areas.
The University of Michigan Health System has taken steps to reduce noise at night, by changing when floors are cleaned and installing sound-absorbing tiles.
Noise levels in hospitals has gone up since the 1060s, according to Mojtaba Navvab, associate professor of architecture at the University of Michigan and an expert in reducing noise level in buildings.
Navvab helped design acoustical changes to the university’s hospital corridors. By adding acoustic tiles to hallway walls, “the sound level was three times lower,” he said.
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