Quieting Weinberg 5C: A case study in reducing hospital noise on a patient ward

Although noise in hospitals is among the top complaints of patients, visitors, and staff, little has been done to address the problem. Further, hospitals have become increasingly worried about using materials that might harbor bacteria, shunning traditional sound absorbers and making the problem even more acute. In this study, we investigated an oncology unit in a relatively new building at Johns Hopkins Hospital, with the aim of demonstrating a noise reduction. We found a series of problems at Weinberg 5C, including architectural design that focuses sound at the nurses station, hallways that create an effective waveguide around the unit, and the total absence of sound‐absorbing materials. We were able to mitigate these problems through judicious placement of sound‐absorbing panels on the ceiling and high on hallway walls. The panels were constructed of noncompressed fiberglass insulation wrapped in an antibacterial fabric and suspended with Velcro. Results show a drop in sound level of about 5 dB(A), a drop in reverberation time of roughly a factor of 3. A survey of patients and staff before and after the intervention shows a remarkable shift from the perception that the unit is noisy to a perception that it is reasonably quiet.