#SanidadSINruido, an initiative to reduce noise in health centres

Health centres are a source of noise, such as the activity of staff, visits from relatives and friends, alarms, phone calls, loudspeaker system and mobile devices (smartphones, tablets…). Today with the invasion of the new apparatuses and state-of-the-art technology, this noise has multiplied.

In satisfaction surveys, patients often mention the disturbing noise as one of the main causes of dissatisfaction with the healthcare they have received, without forgetting the figure of the professionals, who are very often subject to added stress as a result of this situation.

According to Mitjà, "There is evidence that health centres are vulnerable to acoustic contamination". Acoustic contamination is defined as that which is produced by an unwanted noise and which negatively affects the quality of life. Noise is an underestimated threat that can cause a series of health problems in short and long stay.

In 2012, the journal “Annals of Internal Medicine” already published a study in which it reached the conclusion that noise levels in hospitals reached as much as 80 decibels (a train), which delayed the recovery of the hospitalised patients.

According to Soriano and Mitjà, "The aim of the initiative is to explain the importance of controlling environmental noise in health centres, and to promote measures to favour patient well-being."