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designers typically look for those that can withstand a topical, antimicrobial fi nish. In addition to specifying a non-woven textile or a woven textile with a topical treatment, a specifi er must also consider how well fabrics will be cleaned. Poor performance of a textile often occurs because of a misalignment between a cleaning agent and a textile's physical properties. The proper specifi cation of textiles coupled with proper mainte- nance procedures can help a facility keep the spread of contact infections at bay. Safety is also aligned with the trend toward improving communications in care delivery. Healthcare environments are of- ten very noisy. Many sources of noise exist such as beeping alerts from equipment and are amplifi ed by easy-to-clean, but sound- refl ecting interior surfaces. Healthcare interiors need more sound-absorbing material applications for acoustical relief. Most interior design practitioners know in these instances to add a material with a higher noise reduction coef cient or NRC. However, little research exists on how the built environment directly impacts com- munications and, unfortunately, specifying more sound-absorbing materials is discouraged if coming with added costs. Attitudes are shifting, though, with the Af ordable Care Act linking reimburse- ments to patient satisfaction scores. One standard question asked on Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems is specifi c to the acoustical value of the built environment: "During your hospital stay, how often was the area around your room quiet at night?" Making the case that the acoustical val- ue in textile specifi cation may impact the answer to this HCAPHS question suddenly From left: In healthcare, non-woven seat cushions are often specifi ed with topically treated woven seat backs. > Emergency departments offer the highest level of use and abuse to textile products. MCDM AG.COM | M AY/ J U N E 2015 | Medical Construction & Design 47