Privacy at the doctors office... Sounds from other rooms..

So I used to work for a local Mental Health orangization and our offices were near the centers counseling center that was open to the public. And since their offices were on the other side of the wall from our offices there was a small mini speaker installed in the ceiling.

When therapists were meeting with patients the speaker put off a soft static sound. it kinda sounded like a tv static sound..

While i was at my doctors office i noticed that even there... you could hear the other patients in the other exam room next door while i was waiting. I could make out certain words that the doctor was even saying.

It kinda makes me wonder why similar sound cover up systems are not used at other offices....

I dunno--but at my ped you could always hear what was happening in the next room, reminded you to be quieter when it was your turn

This reply probably belongs in the funny stories department but it is on topic so I will post it here.

It seems that three ladies and their children were in a pediatrician's office that had a partition instead of a wall separating the waiting room from the examining room. After examining the first child the doctor said to her mother "it seems that the only problem with this child is some insecurity brought on by your obsession with money, I think your obsession with money affects everything about your family life". "tell me what do you call your daughter?" "Penny" she replied. The doctor replied "I think that illustrates my remarks".

The next exam ended with the following commentary, "it seems that the only problem with this child is some insecurity brought on by your obsession with food, tell me, what do you call this child?" This second woman replied "Candy". "case closed" said the doctor.

The third woman took her son by the hand and said "come on Peter lets go home".

Cost saving, in one case. There wasn't enough soundproofing between the exam rooms and I could hear, more or less clearly, the male doctor give a male patient his head-to-toe exam and was able to anticipate his monologue about what a person should and should not eat. I also pointed out at another office that because of the way the heating/cooling system worked, you could hear everything from the exam room in the waiting area.

As far as I know, I have not been in an office without adequate sound insulation between the exam rooms. I do not know, however, whether perhaps there was no patient in adjacent room or if I was being examined before any of them. Maybe they heard the doctor instructing me during the exam. It excites me to think that someone heard how the exam was progressing. It would be exciting to me to overhear the doctor instructing another male patient during his exam.

I was in a Student Health clinic once, I had been there forever and I could hear the details of a conversation between the staff and a young lady in the adjoining exam room who was clearly under some distress.

After a couple minutes, when I realized the sort of thing I was hearing, I felt quite bad for her...and even though we had no idea who each other was, I felt guilty. I worked in medicine at the time, but now it was another patient on my same level and I was accidentally eavesdropping on a very private conversation. But there was nothing in the room, I was bored stiff, and at the time my hearing was excellent (some ear infection damage since then).

I ended up plugging my ears until the door to my exam room started to open. The NP who was now seeing me had been in the other room previously, so I did not have to worry about hearing any more. Poor girl. I blocked from my memory what was going on with her as it was None Of My Business, but I remember I felt bad for her...and I knew it would be even worse if some stranger was listening in. So I figured I could at least give her that much.

Come to think of it, the clinic i go to now also has sound-proofing issues. You can clearly here conversations in the next exam room

When I was around 16 or 17 I went to the doctor's for what was probably strep throat. A very attractive blonde who appeared to be in her mid 20's was called back. As she walked by a second nurse called out my name. I got up and got to follow the blonde back to the exam rooms.

Now even though I felt like crap, I really admired her figure. She wore a tight denim skirt that came down to about mid thigh, a snug fitting v neck sweater, black shiny tights, and high heeled black leather boots that came up to mid calf, the kind that zip up the side. What a body! The nurse took her into an exam room to the left, and luckily my nurse took me into the exam room right next to hers. After taking my vitals, the nurse said the doctor will be in as soon as he can.

When she left the room, for some reason she left the door wide open. Of course I was fully clothed. About five minutes later I hear the doctor and a nurse approaching. Just before they get to my door I faintly heard the nurse say "she's here for a pap smear". My ears perked up and they walked by my door. Now at that age I knew what a pap smear was, but I was not sure how it was done, like I didn't know what a speculum was.

The Internet didn't exist back then, so I learned by going to the library and reading medical books. Anyway I could hear them knock on the door to her room, and I heard her say come in. Now the conversation was muffled, but it was quiet enough that I could make out parts of the conversation. I got up and closed my door so I could hear them better. I heard what sounded like metallic clanging, which I soon found out were stirrups being pulled out. I heard the doctor say lie back and place your feet in the stirrups. I heard a lot of movement and exam table paper crinkling, then silence. I could only make out words here and there, as the doctor was speaking softer. I heard relax, then speculum and pressure. Then I heard the doctor say bi manual exam and relax. Then I can swear I heard rectal exam. I heard the doctor say relax and bear down. I knew that she actually was getting a rectal exam! Then I heard all done and sit up. More table paper rustling and movement, some more talk between them, and then the door opening and closing.

A few minutes later the doctor knocks on my door and comes in. He ends up taking a swab of my throat and leaves to test it. He leaves the door wide open. I'm glad he did, because a moment later the blonde opened her door and walked by my room. I got one last good look at her. That short denim skirt really hugged her butt. She had a very nice firm butt, and I thought that just a few moments ago the doctor had his finger up that nice bottom of hers. I think that was the beginning of my gyno fetish. It was after that experience I started reading medical books about pelvic exams and pap smears.

Nope, I can't remember that ever being an issue at any doctors I ever went to. IIRC you couldn't even hear anything or anyone walking down the hallways.

The clinic I go to definitely has this issue. You can hear almost everything that goes on in the exam room right next to yours and you don't have to listen too intently either. This is a relatively new clinic and I have always thought that they should have spent a bit more money and done some sound proofing. Sometimes you get to hear others intimate exams going on but then it's your turn and someone is undoubtedly getting an ear full too.

Years ago I was sitting in an exam room clad only in my underwear. As I waited for my doctor to enter I overheard another exam being conducted in the adjacent room. I even heard the guy cough during his hernia exam and apparently he boned up somewhat during the rectal because the doctor replied that it was a "natural occurrence and do not worry about it." Needless to say, I was boned up as the doctor entered my exam room! To be a fly on the wall!

I have been in doctor's offices where I could hear conversation in the next room, though not what was being said. I also one had an appointment with an ENT who kept the door open the entire time while his scribe stood in the hallway and transcribed what was being said. Fortunately an ENT isn't anything too private, but I still found it odd.

I agree with a lot of things said before. In my area there were no physicians office buildings they just used converted homes, so no soundproofing was applied. I have herniated discs in my back so physician friends of mine will furnish anti inflammatories for me if the condition worsens enough. i was waiting in the nurses alcove to get my meds while a shapely coed was recieving a contraceptive care exam in the room adjacent the door was slightly ajar so the view was unexpected needless to say

My doc now has 2 exam room-connected---get to hear all, which is kinda cool when you can hear---maybe not when you are the one being heard!

As a kid my peds exam rooms all opened onto the waiting room, and you could hear all and sometimes catch a peek

Nate, I can remember once when I was kid being in my briefs and being weighed out in the middle of everything!

At three different doctor offices( family doctor, dermatologist, and urologist) I could hear other exams going on. One time at the urologist I heard every part of a prostate exam with a biopsy going on in the next room. It turned me on a little.

A former family doctor had his office in a older converted house so the walls were not soundproof at all so I could hear very well what was going on in the next room but my current doctor is in a facility that was built for doctors offices and they seem to have done a much better job of soundproofing - unfortunately.

I don't think i have ever been in a doctors office that did not have some sort of soundproofing issue

Yesterday I was in the ER and saw a cart set up for a pelvic exam being wheeled towards an adjacent room. What I found interesting us that usually rooms reserved for pelvics are completely sealed (actual wood door on the room ). This exam was carried out in a regular ER room with a sliding glass door and a curtain. Even though the door was present, it was not completely closed. Only a curtain was pulled. While I wasn't trying to eavesdrop, I could hear key words here and there. "Relax your knees", "pressure", the clicking of the plastic speculum and the sounds of discomfort from this young lady were unmistakeable. It was a little strange but definitely something that made my afternoon more interesting.

I sure have been to Doctors offices that had the old Paper thin Walls, but at the Doctor I see now you really can't hear anything going on in the next room.

At my old doctor's office the walls were pretty thin--once while waiting to see my doctor I could hear my doctor discussing a patient's enlarged prostate with another doctor in the neighboring office and because of the other medical condition the patient had, I knew exactly which patient from the waiting room it was (he'd been discussing his breathing issues with a family member in the waiting room). The walls at my current clinic seem a lot thicker(my old clinic was very early 70's--my new clinic only opened a few years ago).

It is amazing how little consideration is given to this. Speaking as an introverted person being overheard in something intimate can be very embarrassing. Maybe not quite as much as being watched and heard both, but still, a lot.

I had a doctor for a very short time some years ago. While sitting in the waiting room, I was listening to staff speaking loudly discussing another patient by full name and talking about medical details.

This is a clear violation of privacy laws in the US..

I could imagine the same conversation about me happening. I left the practice.

I recently had my annual physical. My PCP handed me a gown and left to check in with another patient who happened to be in the exam room next to mine. For the most part, I could just hear the tones of two male voices, but I could make out a few words and phrases: cream, problem, if it fails to resolve. Yes, it's absolutely none of my business, but it was kind of fun to think about a guy having to go in for an intimate issue (and the embarrassment of being able to be overheard by others). But really, I'd bet that the reality was that he was in for something pretty mundane.

Mostly just mumbeld conversation once in awhile a few clear words or conversations from people walking by the door of the exam room. There's only been one time I could clearly hear what was being said in the next room. It was small clinic in a old building and not much sound proofing. I was sitting on the exam table waiting on the doctor after the nurse had left. And in the next room I could hear the doctor telling a patient his prostate was slightly enlarged and the patient asking questions. At the time I was young enough not to have had a prostate exam. But I was aware of how it was checked. And sat there envisoning what had just happened in that room.

I haven't noticed, heard, any sounds from any other visitation rooms.

Our PCP is not all that busy with only one PA there. We hardly ever see another patient.

With sub's cardiologist, kidney, and my surgeon having multiple doctor's practices in one office. The visitation rooms were spaced out enough nothing could be heard. There was more noise in the waiting room and office buildings outside hallways.

At my doctors office like others have posted, the walls are thin and I have heard parts of other patients discussions.

Along these lines, I have heard a lot in pre-op settings where I have gone for various surgeries. The room is full of beds separated by curtains as the nurses prepare the patients for whatever surgery/procedure they may be having. I could hear discussions of personal matters regarding the procedures that they were going to have. I know that others could also hear what I was being told in my little curtained space. It does not bother me to hear others or for others to hear what I was being told. I figure we are all in the same boat going to surgery even if for different things. Some of the things I heard were educational, and reminded me of questions to ask the medical staff or doctor when they came to see me.

My doctor also has rather thin walls between treatment rooms where it was very easy to hear what was being discussed in the room next door……UNTIL MY MOST RECENT APPOINTMENT!!! Now they have installed a noisemaker with birds singing and waterfalls rushing which makes it impossible to hear what was being discussed just a few feet away in the adjacent room!

About 6 months ago, I had to go for routine check of my prostate by DRE. There's also a 'subclinical' hernia which I'm supposed to ask to be checked every 12 month. But I usually forget. So I thought I'd get both things checked at once.

Usual doctor not available so I asked to see someone else in a different room. The room leads off a small waiting area just for patients seeing the doctor in this office.

Exam was DRE and 'drop and cough'. All fine.

When I came out of the exam room there was a young man sitting right by the door who looked me straight in the eye and grinned. Perhaps I'm just paranoid but he may very well have heard what went on. This is London, England and strangers don't make eye contact unless they want to communicate. It never occurred to me till then that the walls are thin plasterboard. Full visual privacy. Not so sure about what could be heard.

At my GP office I usually hear something from adjoining room. Clearly hear when he talks to office staff outside of exam room so I assume the office staff can hear parts of conversations in exam room.

Only place I hear “noise” generators in use was at a psychologist office when I was picking up someone from the waiting area. Seemed unnecessary there.