Noise in healthcare facilities

Healthcare facilities require large amount of fresh air in order to prevent infections, so the low frequency noise from HVAC system is very common. Other noise sources are the audible alarms. Overhead paging and speech are the other factors that contribute the noises. On the other side, hospitals are usually lacking in the materials that normally associate with acoustical absorption because of the concerns about infection control: hard, reflective materials that won't harbor infectious organisms and are easily cleaned. Rolling equipment such as procedure carts and housekeeping dollies moving across uncarpeted floors add to the din, metal chart holders, and elevator doors and alarms. Noise adversely affects a number of physiological processes of both patients and staff and is a potential risk factor for communication breakdown and errors (primarily discomfort and problems of healing for patients and alarm fatigue and annoyance for staff). This work describes an approach to analyze these factors in the hospital Regina Elena National Cancer Institute in Rome, by objective noise measurements and the distribution of tests to staff, according to proven methodologies.