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09
May 2013

Sound Masking for Medical Professionals

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Patient Satisfaction

Press Ganey patient satisfaction surveys tell us that there is a clear link between patient satisfaction and their perception of quality of care and profitability.  Even if quality care is provided, if the perception is not there, patients walk away unsatisfied.  Thus, it’s essential to provide both quality care and the perception of care.  Thus, it’s important to serve patients as people and give them what they want because satisfied patients:

  • experience less stress themselves.
  • present less stress to medical staff, resulting in fewer errors and more profit.
  • share their experiences with others and are willing to refer your practice or hospital to their friends and family.

HIPAA Requirements

You know that HIPAA requires medical professionals to safeguard medical records by all reasonable means and that new legislation fines for breaches. Few practices knowingly transmit patients’ medical files, but many unintentionally do just that as a result of sound leaks via the facility itself.

Possible Sound Leaks

  • in a common waiting room
  • through the walls
  • via a telephone conversation
  • among medical staff

Thus, it’s more important than ever to provide private confidentiality that goes beyond a doctor not repeating what other have confided in him or her.   In addition to the fact that new HIPAA regulations allow for fines for breaches, medical professionals should safeguard their practices as well for repeat and referral business, not to mention the joy of knowing patients are as well served as possible.

One way to ensure patient satisfaction is through safeguarding supposedly private conversations with sound masking.  A sound masking system gently hums in the background to provide speech privacy. Speech privacy means that passers-by don’t overhear conversations not meant for them.  As patients themselves don’t hear every conversation or phone call in the hallway or office, they will come to realize that there really is such a thing as speech privacy.

One way to ensure patient satisfaction is through safeguarding supposedly private conversations with sound masking.  A sound masking system gently hums in the background to provide speech privacy. Speech privacy means that passers-by don’t overhear conversations not meant for them.  As patients themselves don’t hear every conversation or phone call in the hallway or office, they will come to realize that there really is such a thing as speech privacy.

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25
Apr 2013

How Sound Masking Helps Noise in a Real Estate Office

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Noise Problems in a Real Estate Office

There are a number of noise issues in the real estate office.

  • Distraction- too much office noise is distracting while trying to work or make calls
  • Overheard Personal Information- other agents or passers-by can overhear personal information
  • Competing agents- there are times that the agent on the other side of a deal being negotiated are present in the office.
  • Lack of professionalism- similar to distraction, ambient office noise in the background does not sound personal and professional to a client on the other end of a call or in a meeting at the office

From distraction to a lack of confidentiality, conducting business in a way that honors clients and protects their personal affairs has become increasingly difficult.

Sound Masking for Realtors

Case in point: one apartment-locating company, Sigma Relocation, was suffering a staggering loss of productivity and professionalism in their noisy call center.  They had

  • 4500 square feet of open office work space  with half-wall partitions separating 48 agents working a call center.  The co-owners knew that 48 naturally sociable people wouldn’t be doing their jobs if they kept their voices down.

The Solution: Sound Masking & Choosing a System

Rather than rent more space, which seemed to be the only option, the owners decided to give sound masking a shot. Choosing a system and sound masking company was the next step.  After researching and gathering nationwide bids, the team at Sigma chose the VoiceArrest system for a number of reasons:

  1. Speech Privacy Systems is a reputable, trustworthy company.
  2. The VoiceArrest System is the latest technology and offers more speech privacy at lower decibels than older systems.

The VoiceArrest has proven successful.  Not only was the white noise barely noticed, Sigma reported that everyone in the company was thrilled with the VoiceArrest and that there were no more reports of noise issues.  The last result Nick was delighted with was that he could finally fill every desk  since his company continues to expand by 2-3 employees per month.and that there were no more reports of noise issues.  The last result Nick was delighted with was that he could finally fill every desk  since his company continues to expand by 2-3 employees per month.

The result is that real estate agents can work productively in their offices, and their clients can get the best representation possible.  Sound masking is an investment worth making.

 

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23
Apr 2013

Sound Masking: Recovering the Cognitive Cost of Distraction

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The Cost of Disruptions

There are many studies dedicated to showing just how distracted workers are in the office.  The average worker {not just the slacker} is distracted more than two hours every day!  This worker is interrupted over 70 times a day, and those interruptions are costly.

Interrupting a task at a computer user’s focus of attention often leads to a switching of attention to the source of the interruption [9]. Conversations with other people, including face-to-face conversations, phone calls, and talk through walls have been found to contribute to 15-45% of switches away from the task at a user’s focus of attention [2, 3]. Indeed, becoming engaged in conversational dialog may pose greater disruptions to users than alerts delivered within a computing system because social conventions on personal responsiveness may make it difficult to take the time and actions to prepare for the task switch [9, 10].

From social media to cell phones to texting to co-worker chatter, workers are hit seemingly non-stop all day to the point that many walk away frustrated, stressed, and aware that too much time was lost and too many errors were made.  For some, it’s a depressing reality that will be true tomorrow and the next day, and for others, it means extended work days and lost weekends.  For most, this lack of productivity is debilitating and rarely leads to a feeling of job satisfaction.

Sound Masking for Distraction

Interestingly, not all distractions are equally distracting.  In fact, the excerpt above shows us that face-to-face and people-initiated interruptions contribute to up to half of users’ switches of attention, and that a worker is able to ignore a computer alert more easily than a social interruption out of typical social norms- no one wants to be rude after all, even if they are trying to stay focused at work.   Thus, they discipline themselves against their screens but not their co-workers.

This is where sound masking comes in.  Like a white noise generator, aka sound machine, helps people sleep because the low-level background noise {ie white noise} allows their brains to tune out the noise keeping them sleepless, a sound masking system helps workers tune out distracting noise.  Distracting noise in the office is usually conversational in nature, and as we saw above, is difficult to ignore socially.  A few well-placed speakers work wonders for distracted workers because they minimize the office sound track and free up the brain to stay focused on work.

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18
Apr 2013

The ABC’s of Sound Masking

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One evening last week, I was at a friend’s house for a Bible study.  Usually, we all stay together as a mixed-gendered group and discuss the study.  Every month, though, we take a night to break up into a men’s group and a women’s group.  The hosts want to honor each member and any sensitive information we might want to share with out own friends {and not their spouses}.  As such, each group meets in a different room to chat.  I was amused this past week when our host pulled close a linen curtain between the two rooms, as if this decorative, paper-thin piece of cloth was going to provide additional speech privacy.  Once again, I was hit with the realization that the average person does not know the ABC’s of speech privacy, and why would he or she?  So, here’s how it works.

chart_sm1-300x18011 (1)The ABC’s of Sound Masking

Treating an acoustic environment sounds complex, but it is often described as “the ABC’s.”

  • You can Absorb the sound with panels or better ceiling tiles,
  • You can Block the sound by building walls or furniture partitions,
  • and You can Cover the sound by installing a high quality sound masking system.

As you can see from the graphic, not each element contributes an equal part to establishing speech privacy.  This is where the linen curtain comes in.  It would count as a blocking method, though a poor one {most businesses use furniture panels or walls to block rather than thin curtains}.  While absorbing, blocking, and covering work mutually, sound masking {covering} is the most effective of the three.

Sound masking would not be ideal for a home, but is ideal for larger areas like offices or medical facilities, and for two main reasons:

  1. Reduction of distractions.  As mentioned above, workers can’t understand co-worker chatter, so they tend to be less distracted by it and more able to keep their focus on work, make fewer mistakes, and be more productive overall.
  2. Establishment of private confidentiality.  In addition to allowing workers to work better, speech privacy allows for privacy when necessary.

If you or your company are looking for speech privacy, it’s important to know your resources and how each works.

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16
Apr 2013

Sound Masking for Call Centers

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Noisy Call Centers 

A sound masking system is a surprisingly simple fix for noise in call centers.

Have you ever gotten a call from a call center before?  Chances are, you have.  And more than likely, it was not a priority, and you found the quickest way to get off the phone you could.  This is not great news for call centers.  They need your business and getting hung up on is a waste of their time, too.  Many callers feel that if their prospective recipients would just stay on the line and hear their “spiel,” so to speak, they would see the importance and be more sympathetic to the cause or product.

So what’s the problem?  Why do people hang up?  Not everyone is busy, so there must be additional reasons. Interestingly, noise can be the culprit.

  • Background sound, even other callers, can make a customer feel like a number instead of a person.
  • The same background noise can be quite distracting for both customer and caller.
  • When a potential customer hears all this, it only adds to the feeling that their personal information is up for grabs.

Why Sound Masking Is the Best Option

Adding a little background noise actually helps reduce unwanted noise.  With the addition of white noise through a sound masking system, callers can focus on their customers and not be distracted by fellow callers.  As a result, customers feel more served and less like a sales pitch waiting to happen and might be more prone to stay on the phone.

While it’s super-easy to plan for a sound masking system, it’s almost just as easy to add one!  Rather than alter the aesthetics and the functionality of the call center, sound masking systems like the Voice Arrest are installed in the ceiling tiles in a matter of minutes, thus minimizing almost all inconvenience.  The speakers can function in zones and need little, if any, regular adjustments.

Thus, if you have a noisy call center and are looking for a noise solution that doesn’t require totally changing the set-up, rest assured that the VoiceArrest Sound Masking System is an invisible, affordable, effective, and quick fix for any facility.

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09
Apr 2013

Speech Privacy for Confidentiality

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Sound masking works on the principle that when background noise is added to an environment, speech is less intelligible. In technical terms, the “Articulation Index” – a measurement of how intelligible speech is – has been lowered by this change in the signal-to-noise ratio. The “signal” would be, for example, the person speaking, and the “noise” would be the sound masking. A high signal-to-noise ratio means that speech is very intelligible – an amphitheater would have a very high Articulation Index, for example. Based on this principle, scientists and engineers realized that you don’t have to actually stop the sound waves from a speaker’s voice in order to obtain speech privacy, you just have to make the speaker’s words unintelligible. If I can see and hear you but I can’t understand the words that you’re saying, we have effectively established speech privacy.

This is important for two reasons:

  1. Reduction of distractions.  As mentioned above, workers can’t understand co-worker chatter, so they tend to be less distracted by it and more able to keep their focus on work, make fewer mistakes, and be more productive overall.
  2. Establishment of private confidentiality.  In addition to allowing workers to work better, speech privacy allows for privacy when necessary.

Speech Privacy for Confidentiality

10092059-300x20311While for many companies, privacy is a luxury longed for, but not a necessity.  For others, confidentiality is a requirement.  Private confidentiality is essential for:

By no means is this an exhaustive list, but it shows services and facilities prone to privacy breaches that are unacceptable professionally.  Thus, speech privacy becomes as useful as its name implies.

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04
Apr 2013

Why Your Business Needs Sound Masking

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Sound Masking Has a Past and a Future

Sound masking has many forms and a diverse past.  From fountains to drown out street noise to headphones to tune out co-workers, sound masking has existed much longer than most realize.  What is new about the technology is our ability to generate white noise, from sound machines to sound masking systems.  Systems are the most helpful for businesses and larger areas {versus single users}.  

There are two main reasons to use sound masking:

  1. Cover, and therefore reduce distractions
  2. Provide confidentiality through speech privacy

Why You Might Need Sound Masking

Facilities that require sound treatment frequently look to sound masking systems that have been designed to emit low-level, structured white noise through in-ceiling speakers via direct-field technology.  The benefits of systems are that they can be zoned to treat specific problem areas and that these zones are invisible.  No awkward walls are added, carpeting or absorbent paneling is not necessary- in fact, facility managers can install the systems themselves in a matter of hours for immediate, effective sound coverage!

But, how does it work?  Essentially, the white noise used in sound masking systems is structured , meaning it is uniform instead of constantly changing, like speech, music, or general office noise.  This consistent noise allows the brain to tune out the inconsistencies and therefore helps workers in two main ways:

  1. First, they are less distracted.  The average worker is distracted more than 2 hours a day!  By reducing the number of distractions workers face every day, you enable those workers to stay focused and be more productive.
  2. Second, they enjoy confidentiality.  Sound masking provides speech privacy which renders surrounding speech unintelligible, and therefore protects the speakers from being overheard if the information is sensitive for any reason.

As you can see, sound masking technology can be quite beneficial for many businesses or practices because it enables workers to be more productive, as well as more protected, whether it’s a trade secret or just personal.

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02
Apr 2013

2 Sound Masking Options

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Open Offices

Offices are largely moving towards open office floor plans because they’re easy to plan for and much cheaper than lots of small, individual offices.  Plus, many companies tout the ability for workers to collaborate when necessary, with an “open” feel.  You can see all this on most TV shows and movies that show case modern offices.  Workers are all huddled together, some at trading-style desks, while they try to get some work done.  However, we all see as their heads pop up every time someone starts a new conversation or makes a personal phone call.

The problem with these offices is what we all see- distraction!  As interesting or frustrating or aggravating or irritating as this chatter can be, workers lose their focus in spite of themselves.  And this loss of focus costs businesses more than you know.

Sound Masking for Noise

Direct-field systems are based in the ceiling tiles and deliver consistent masking.

Direct-field systems are based in the ceiling tiles and deliver consistent masking.

That may sound a bit dramatic, but noise has been a real problem for businesses because of the distraction it causes.  Co-worker conversations and office noise cost companies billions of dollars because they draw workers’ attention away from their work, which results in less productivity, more errors, and even more stress, all of which turn into excessive absenteeism and turn-over.  The sum total for these costs is hundreds of billions of dollars.

Business owners and managers are starting to follow the signs of the sound leak and look into solution options.  While sound masking has been on the market for a while, recent technological advances have offered two main options:

  • Plenum-based systems
  • Direct-field technology

Both systems have their advantages and disadvantages.  Plenum-based systems are easier to install and have fewer parts for the coverage area because they are located above the ceiling tiles and can therefore cover a much larger indirect area.  Direct-field speakers are installed in an approximate 10′ x 10′ grid with all speakers installed in the ceiling tiles. This system provides great even coverage of the space and also give you the ability to provide paging over the speakers as well.  Direct field systems can be more expensive, but provide more uniform, direct coverage.

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21
Mar 2013

The ABC’s of Sound Masking

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The ABC’s of Sound Masking

Sound masking is the use of white noise to establish speech privacy either to combat unwanted noise or provide confidential privacy dependent upon the needs of the facility.  Some businesses need to reduce distraction, while others need to safeguard sensitive conversations.  There are 3 main resources to deal with sound:

  • Absorb it
  • Block it
  • Cover it

Known as the ABC’s, you can absorb sound with panels and carpeting, block it with partitions, and/or cover it with white noise.  Of the ABC’s, covering is usually the most effective means of achieving a reduction of distraction and confidentiality.  A sound masking system is the best option because it can be applied to entire floors.

Planning for Sound Masking During Construction

While a sound masking system can be installed in almost any existing facility, it’s usually easiest and most effective to plan for it during construction.  There are several factors to consider:

  • How will the building be used?
  • How many square feet will there be?
  • Will there be cubicles or individual offices?  How many of each?
  • Where are the main areas that need to be sound-proofed?

As you answer these questions, you’ll have a better idea of how many zones to create and where to meet your needs.

From the Mouth of a Satisfied Customer

This may all sound too good to be true.  Does it really work?  Is it really worth it?  Who better to tell you those who have experienced it?

“The experience that we have had with you guys has been nothing short of exceptional. You really don’t realize how important the white noise is until you don’t have it. Before you guys got here we had a 24,000 square foot space that you could hear a whisper in… now we have a comforting blanket of sound and music. We will definitely need you guys in the new building!”
Brandon McKee – ResqDebt, Allen, TX

 

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07
Mar 2013

5 Ways to Use Sound Masking

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People always want to know what I do- when I explain that I work for a sound masking company, they look at me as if I spoke in Chinese.  While most are actually familiar with white noise and sound machines, what they aren’t as sure about is the term “sound masking” and why or how they can be used effectively.  Sound masking is actually a great resource for so many applications.  From work distractions to baby and/or kid sleep issues to adult sleep disruptions to relaxation to sound therapy for sufferers of tinnitus, sound masking can be the answer.  Before I delve into these 5 specific applications, let’s examine what sound masking is.

Sound masking is the use of white noise to create speech privacy and/or combat unwanted noise.  There are two main ways to mask sound:

That said, here are 5 ways to take advantage of sound masking.

5 Ways to Use Sound Masking

Sound Therapy is great for tinnitis, and it also offers lots of sound options for other uses as well.

1. For work. The average worker (including you!) is distracted up to 2 hours every day.  This distraction usually comes in the form of conversational distraction.  Thus, an individual sound machine on your desk (or even this free online generator) is great for tuning out this kind of noise. Better yet, sound masking throughout the office space can provide this benefit to the entire office.

2. For sleep. This is one of my favorite ways to use white noise.  I hate lying in bed, listening to the wind howl or car doors slam on the street. Using a sound machine next to your bed will mask the annoying sounds from neighbors or street noise, helping you sleep better and stay asleep with fewer interruptions.

3. For kids. Sound machines can work wonders with kid’s sensitive sleep schedules. Maybe your children are sharing a room for the first time, or you want them to easily sleep through the noise of your dinner party. White noise can ensure good, uninterrupted sleep for your little ones, which means better sleep for you, too.

4. For relaxation. After a long day at work, you want to come home to relax and unwind, but a barking dog across the street is interrupting your reverie. You can relax to the sounds of nature found on many household sound machines. Enjoy the sound of the sea as you sit down to read a good book.

5. For tinnitus. Ringing in your ears, also known as tinnitus can be very distracting and uncomfortable. The irritation caused by tinnitus can be lessened though the use of sound therapy, letting you relax.

A sound machine can be your best friend when dealing with unwanted noise, whether it’s neighbors, chatty co-workers, or even ringing in your own ears.

 

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