Developing acoustical policies around in EU countries

According to research, noise levels in hospitals worldwide have increased. At the same time, the awareness of the negative effects of noise on patients and healthcare staff has grown. To manage or eliminate noise in hospitals, standards and policies are a great help. An overview of international standards will be presented, showing various parameters and differences in values and angles of approach, e.g based on activity or room type. To further optimize the content, and stimulate the use of the standards, some countries have even defined healthcare specific standards. These can support the planning and the evaluation of the sound environment in those premises. New insights from research and case studies, as well as emerging laws, provide opportunities or even force us to extend the existing content of standards to meet future demands. Suggestions for that include extension of the amount of parameters, such as decrease of sound pressure level (ΔSPL) and parameters addressing privacy (PI, AC). Finally, rev...