The health care industry is justifiably preoccupied with many issues other than acoustics, yet these issues are frequently important to the function and efficiency of such facilities. Further, the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) now requires that patient confidentiality is assured and this includes oral communication.

Studies have shown that rest and recovery is not optimized in hospitals due to the distractions of noise. Even the slightest subdued conversations at a nurse's station can be disturbing enough to interfere with needed restful sleep. In fact, noise frequently leads the list of negatives in patient satisfaction surveys. Sound Masking can neutralize these distractions.

Noisy public space - waiting rooms, cafeterias, etc. - see Overall Noise Levels Lack of confidentiality in medical, psychological and financial counseling areas. - see Noise Isolation, Masking Distortion in lecture rooms and telephone or video conference space. Transmission of noise between space; in examination rooms, for instance. - see Noise Isolation Problems in office space which are common to all office space. - see Offices Often, it is impractical, if not impossible to achieve perfect noise isolation. The residual noise that gets through a barrier system may still be distracting. For this reason, Sound Masking should be considered. Masking may also be a more economical alternative to the expense and disruption of improving the barrier performance of "the envelope"; especially in existing space.