Speaker
Description
Hospital noise is a clinical concern, but average A weighted sound pressure levels (LAeq) do not explain how people experience sound in different departments. This study examined whether department type drives hospital soundscape quality by combining psychoacoustic measures with soundscape questionnaires based on ISO 12913. We collected 124 acoustic measurements and 86 questionnaire responses across four departments: Emergency, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Oncology, and Hematology, in four Dutch tertiary hospitals. Psychoacoustic annoyance (PA) was computed using the Zwicker-Fastl model alongside Loudness (N5), sharpness, roughness, and fluctuation strength. Results showed clear department-specific profiles. ICU and Oncology had nearly identical LAeq values (54.15 vs. 54.17 dB(A)) but differed substantially in psychoacoustic profile and perceived sound quality, showing that equal dB levels can mask meaningful experiential differences. Emergency had the highest annoyance (PA =15.80) and lowest perceived sound quality, while Hematology had the lowest annoyance (PA = 9.13) and highest appropriateness. PA correlated positively with ISO Eventfulness (ρ = 0.41) and negatively with ISO Pleasantness (ρ = −0.22). Roughness and Loudness (N5) showed the strongest negative associations with perceived pleasantness. Staff and ICU patients rated the same environment markedly differently, highlighting the role of listener context. These findings support department-specific interventions and show the value of integrating psychoacoustics with ISO 12913 soundscape assessment.