Noise has been identified as a major stressor in hospitals,1 ,2 with ambient noise frequently exceeding recommended levels set by the WHO3 and reportedly as high as alarm clocks.4 ,5 Although hospitals frequently attempt to reduce noise through traditional methods such as shielding the patient (eg, closing doors), moving equipment or altering staff behaviours, these approaches disrupt workflow and ignore the realities of sound generation required in modern hospitals, which potentially limits their impact on quality and patient safety. An unexplored method of reducing hospital noise borrowed from other industries is to use sound acoustic panels that diffuse noise rather than attempt to eliminate it.6 We performed a pilot study to determine whether strategically placed, sound acoustic panels applied in hospitals would acutely reduce noise in hallways adjacent to patient rooms. If true, this option could serve as an architectural design solution to enhance patient care and experience during hospitalisation.