Noise in Maternity Wards: A Research on Its Contributors and Sources

Aims: This research aimed to investigate the major user behavior patterns of noise sources in healthcare environments and summarize such information as evidence that can inform the design of maternity wards for indoor noise control and patients’ well-being. Methods: Field investigations were conducted to identify users’ behaviors as the major contributors of noises in the maternity wards of a typical hospital. A control experiment was set to test the feasibility of a noise control system that consisted of smart bracelets, mobile terminals, and monitors. Comparative studies were designed for statistical analysis of patients’ sleep quality and satisfaction. Finally, a follow-up interview was conducted among the experts who were from the fields of healthcare environment design, medical treatments, and hospital administration to shed an insight into their concerns on the findings. Results: The enclosed waiting areas, instead of open ones that were often seen in hospitals, around the entrances of operation rooms, were considered as the appropriate design strategy for maternity wards in China. Such a design could keep patients from being exposed to the excessive noises generated by visitors during nighttime, although it would occupy the floor area of wards and lead to a reduction of beds. Moreover, the statistical information of patients’ behaviors could be used to moderate visitors’ behaviors. Conclusions: It was necessary to include user behavior information in building information management and then make a good trade-off between the proportions of wards and enclosed waiting rooms in order to achieve a balance of medical efficiency and environmental satisfaction.