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Description
The acoustic design of an intensive care unit should not only ensure low noise levels and short reverberation times to support effective communication and, as far as possible, reduce noise related stress for both patients and staff. In multi-bed patient rooms, it should also provide adequate acoustic privacy between patients. As these requirements can be partly contradictory from an acoustical perspective, a study was conducted in which twelve different room configurations were evaluated using a full-scale mockup of an intensive care unit. Three different types of screens between bedside areas were assessed, together with the effect of adding sound-absorbing wall panels, as well as the combined effect of screens and wall panels. The results of the study provide tangible outcomes that can be used as input for acoustic design recommendations for intensive care environments.