Environmental noise sources and interventions to minimize them: a tale of 2 hospitals.

Noise has been shown to interfere with the healing process and can disrupt the patient's experience. This study assessed patients' and staff's perceptions of noise levels and sources in the hospital environment and identified interventions to reduce the noise level. The interventions significantly reduced noise as perceived by patients and staff. Identification of a structured process to identify noise sources and standardization of noise measurement methods can improve the patient hospital experience.