Shhh Campaigns and Quiet Hospitals

How many of us have traveled somewhere, whether back to our childhood home for Thanksgiving, or to a vacation resort, and then had trouble sleeping? Unfamiliar noises are a constant disturbance – creaking pipes, strangers talking, traffic, howler monkeys in the distance… While these sounds are not necessarily loud, they are foreign to our routine and snap us from peaceful slumber. (If you are one of the fortunate souls who can sleep through a thunderstorm, I am envious.) 

Imagine now being sick and struggling to sleep through even louder, more foreign disturbances – overhead announcements, infuser pump alarms, squeaking wheels on the laundry cart, people talking on their phone in the hall outside your door, etc. Research has shown how important sleep is to mental and physical health, and that a peaceful environment truly does promote healing. But the fact remains that patients struggle with these disturbances in hospitals every day. 

An emerging trend in healthcare is to tone down the decibels and eliminate some of these sleep interruptions. I’ve read about initiatives that include the maintenance department keeping all cart wheels silent (the squeaky wheel truly does get the grease). I’ve heard of hospitals using gentle music on the overhead paging system to signal the start of quiet time at night, and posting signs on all patient floors reminding visitors to use inside voices. 

Specifically from Amcom customers I hear how they use our products to support quieter environments. It’s music to my ears to know that we’re helping patients across the country heal faster in a calmer environment. Taking advantage of mobile devices, customers are reducing overhead paging with some of our communication solutions by sending messages directly to appropriate staff. Is someone looking for the admitting hospitalist? Instead of paging throughout the facility, we help behind the scenes by locating the correct person on duty and sending a message to his or her preferred device. Alerts and alarms from patient monitoring, nurse call, and other systems can also be sent as secure text messages to the appropriate nurse, physician, or rapid response team. It’s faster, more efficient, and just as important, quieter. 

Do you have a Shhh campaign at your facility? (Silent hospitals help healing) 

Has an Amcom solution helped reduce the din? What are some of the other approaches your facility is taking? Are your patients noticing?