High Point, NC, [June 24, 2026] – Carolina, an OFS company and leader in healthcare furniture solutions, and ROOM, a pioneer in modular privacy solutions, announced the release of Sound Decisions: Why Acoustic Privacy Matters in Healthcare Environments. The new white paper examines the growing challenge of acoustic privacy in healthcare facilities, exploring how noise and limited access to private spaces can impact patient trust, caregiver well-being, and healthcare outcomes. The white paper provides research-backed insights for healthcare leaders, designers, architects, and facility managers seeking practical solutions that support confidentiality, flexibility, and operational efficiency.
Now available for free download here.
Sound Decisions draws on industry expertise and is informed by research from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI), Frontiers in Psychology, Noise & Health, BMC Nursing, Intensive & Critical Care Nursing, and other peer-reviewed publications. The paper explores how healthcare organizations are challenged to balance patient privacy with the need for flexible, efficient spaces.
For example, both WHO and FGI recommend sound levels of approximately 40 dBA in patient-care areas, yet studies have found many healthcare environments regularly operate between 50 and 70 dBA, while intensive care units and operating rooms often exceed 80 dBA. Further research shows that excessive noise can negatively affect patient recovery, communication, caregiver well-being, and provider performance.
Sound Decisions provides insights on acoustic privacy in healthcare environments, including:
- The impact of noise on patient trust, communication, and recovery
- How healthcare facilities balance privacy with flexibility and cost constraints
- The relationship between acoustic privacy and caregiver well-being
- Emerging applications for privacy pods in healthcare settings
- Design considerations for creating flexible, confidential spaces that support patients, visitors, and staff
Sound Decisions outlines opportunities for healthcare organizations to enhance acoustic privacy through evidence-based design strategies and emerging solutions such as healthcare-adapted privacy pods. By creating spaces that support confidential conversations, focused work, and moments of respite, healthcare organizations can foster trust, improve communication, and better support the people who rely on them every day.
About Carolina
For over 80 years, Carolina has designed and manufactured quality healthcare furniture for customers around the globe. Founded in 1947, Carolina has continuously evolved its products and expanded its expertise to meet the needs of tomorrow's challenges, as well as today's. Carolina is based in High Point, NC, and was acquired by OFS in 2007. Through its connection to OFS, Carolina also draws from a broad portfolio of products designed for administrative and workplace environments.
About ROOM
ROOM is reshaping the modern workplace to create the offices of the future around the world. Offering modular and creative architectural office solutions that seamlessly transition a stagnant floorplan to one that is adaptive and dynamic, ROOM's series of purpose-built products foster productivity, team collaboration, focused individual work, and everything in between. All without the hassle, expense and negative environmental effects of traditional construction. ROOM was acquired by OFS in early 2024, further enabling the brand’s mission of designing a better way of working, for all.
Media Contact:
Brooke Lueken
blueken@ofs.com