The Sound of Safer Care: How Acoustic Sensing is Transforming Healthcare with Derek van der Vorst of Sound Intelligence

Welcome to Digital Health Frontiers, where we explore the cutting edge of healthcare technology, policy, and innovation, hosted by Mike Brandofino, President and COO of Caregility. In this episode Mike sits down with Derek van der Vorst, CEO of Sound Intelligence to discuss how acoustic sensing is shaping the next frontier of inpatient care. Derek shares how audio AI can detect early signs of aggression to improve staff safety, monitor hospital noise levels to support patient recovery, and ultimately help health systems create calmer, safer care environments

Mike Brandofino (Caregility President & COO):
Hello, everybody. I’m Mike Brandofino, President and COO of Caregility, and welcome to Digital Health Frontiers. I’m here with one of our partners, Derek van der Vorst, CEO of Sound Intelligence. Today we’re going to talk about one of the best opportunities to add value in the inpatient setting—acoustic sensing.

Much of the AI focus today has been on cameras in the room, which are important, but audio represents a powerful new frontier. Derek, thank you for joining us.

Derek van der Vorst (Sound Intelligence CEO):
Thanks for having me, Mike.

Mike: From an audio perspective, what types of things is Sound Intelligence doing in inpatient settings to help health systems?

Derek: Sound Intelligence is a Dutch company, founded in 2000, and we’ve deployed our solution in over 15,000 patient rooms in Europe. We focus on three main areas: staff safety, better sleep, and better care.

Workplace violence is a serious issue in healthcare. Nurses are 5–12 times more likely to experience workplace violence than other professionals, and surveys show safety concerns are a top reason many consider leaving. Our software detects aggressive voices—shouting, agitation, escalating emotions—and alerts nearby staff or security before situations spiral.

We also developed something called the Zen Score—Zero Excessive Noise. Noise levels in hospitals are often much higher than recommended, disrupting patient rest, recovery, and mood. By monitoring not just background noise but sudden interruptions like door slams, we help hospitals identify noisy environments and take action. This improves recovery times, patient satisfaction, and ultimately HCAHPS scores.

Mike: Many hospitals rely on panic buttons, but they’re not always enough. Audio sensing seems to offer an important augmentation.

Derek: Exactly. Panic buttons aren’t always pressed—sometimes staff can’t reach them, or patients and visitors escalate without a nurse present. Audio provides an objective, automated way to detect and escalate alerts.

Mike: I also visited some of your customers in the Netherlands, and I was struck by how scalable audio is compared to cameras.

Derek: That’s right. Audio analytics can run on existing Caregility hardware without additional equipment. It’s lightweight, edge-based, and scalable. For example, with video alone, a virtual nurse might monitor 12–16 patients at night. With audio, that same nurse can safely monitor 100 rooms, with greater privacy, since the camera only activates when triggered by sound.

Mike: A common concern with AI is data security. How does audio sensing address that?

Derek: All processing happens at the edge. No audio is recorded, and no conversations are stored or transmitted. We don’t do speech recognition for these use cases—just sound pattern analysis—so there are no privacy risks.

Mike: That’s an important distinction. There’s a difference between ambient listening (analyzing words for transcription, stress, or voice commands) and what you’re describing: sound pattern analysis without listening to words.

Mike: Initially, many of your deployments weren’t in patient rooms. How did Sound Intelligence get started in healthcare?

Derek: In the U.S., we began with security use cases—detecting aggression in emergency departments, urgent care centers, and pharmacies. Hospitals saw immediate benefits in preventing escalation, and now they’re asking to bring those capabilities into patient rooms, where cameras often aren’t used. That’s where our partnership with Caregility is so valuable.

Mike: Looking ahead three to five years, what role do you see audio playing in healthcare?

Derek: Education is the first hurdle—helping hospitals understand what’s possible. As adoption grows, we’ll move into more advanced use cases like detecting sleep apnea, epileptic seizures, or breathing patterns. Essentially, acoustic monitoring can add meaningful clinical data without invasive sensors. In the future, audio analytics will complement traditional tools like stethoscopes, helping providers diagnose more efficiently and even remotely.

Mike: That aligns with our vision at Caregility. By combining audio with other sensors—like radar, incontinence monitors, or cameras—we can help nurses work at the top of their license, saving time, improving safety, and enhancing patient care. I also saw in the Netherlands how remote monitors learned to quickly interpret sounds—even recognizing nonverbal patient communication. That’s powerful.

Derek: For hospitals new to audio, we encourage small-scale pilots—say, 10 rooms—to experience the benefits firsthand. Once they see the value, scaling becomes obvious.

Mike: I completely agree. Audio sensing brings a whole new dimension to virtual care—providing awareness of what’s happening in the room without requiring constant visual monitoring. Derek, thank you for joining us today and for your partnership.

Derek: Thank you, Mike.