Can Smart Glass Improve Patient Privacy in Hospitals?

In recent years, hospitals and clinics have increasingly turned to innovative design solutions to enhance patient well-being, hygiene standards, and operational efficiency. 

Following the trend, smart glass, also known as switchable, privacy, or intelligent glass, is emerging very rapidly. This material allows hospital staff to transform transparent glass surfaces into opaque ones at the flick of a switch (or via voice or sensor), offering instant privacy without the drawbacks of traditional drapes or blinds. 

But can it fundamentally improve patient privacy in hospitals? Let’s explore.

Why Privacy Matters in Healthcare?

The importance of patient privacy goes beyond just modesty. It’s about:

• Confidentiality: Protecting sensitive personal and medical information.
• Dignity: Preserving a patient’s sense of respect and self-worth during examinations, treatment, and recovery.
• Compliance: Meeting legal requirements like GDPR and NHS Information Governance standards.
• Trust: Building a secure environment where patients feel safe and comfortable sharing personal information.

Unfortunately, conventional solutions like fabric curtains and blinds often fall short. They’re difficult to keep clean, prone to wear and tear, and can be left open inadvertently. Worse still, they can give a false sense of privacy, especially when sound is concerned.

How Smart Glass Enhances Patient Privacy?

Smart glass addresses many of the limitations of traditional privacy solutions. Here’s how it can support hospitals in protecting patient privacy more effectively:

1. Addressing a Major Hygiene Concern

Hospital privacy curtains, though ubiquitous, are fraught with contamination risks. A study showed that 87.5 % of curtains in a hospital ward tested positive for MRSA after just 14 days.

Curtains are often touched, rarely changed, and notoriously difficult to sterilise; even plastic versions may harbour coronavirus for up to three days. In contrast, smart glass features non-porous, smooth surfaces that can be disinfected quickly and repeatedly. Staff no longer need to replace or transport curtains; they simply wipe down the glass in situ, enhancing infection control.

2. Visual Privacy with Zero Compromise

Smart glass grants immediate visual privacy. With a switch, a partition or window instantly shifts from transparent to frosted, no need for manual curtains that can drift or be intrusive.

This capability fosters dignity in shared or open-plan wards: patients can request privacy effortlessly during rest, treatment, or consultations, while staff maintain the ability to check in visually when needed, promoting both autonomy and reassurance.

3. Hygiene Meets Observation

A key benefit lies in safe observation. Healthcare workers can assess patients through glass without entering rooms, reducing contamination risks, vital in isolation wards or during pandemics. Smart glass technology like PriWatt™ has enabled remote monitoring in ICU settings while preserving hygiene and visibility.

4. Minimising Sound Leakage

While smart glass primarily deals with visual privacy, it can also contribute to sound control. Though not fully soundproof, laminated smart glass can help reduce the level of noise that passes through partition walls or doors, which is important in private consultations and treatment rooms.

Combined with sound-absorbing materials in ceilings or walls, smart glass can play a supporting role in creating a quieter, more private environment for patients.

5. Natural Light, Reduced Noise, Quicker Recovery

The glass barrier doesn’t block daylight. Smart glass allows for ambient light even in opaque mode, improving mood, circadian rhythms, and potentially reducing opioid use. Additionally, laminated variants offer acoustic dampening, yielding calming wards that support restful recovery.

6. Balancing Costs and Long-Term Benefits

When factoring staff efficiency and patient outcomes, cost benefits are compelling. Smart glass comes with a higher initial cost than curtains or blinds. However:

• It reduces recurring expenses on curtain laundering and replacement.
• Improves infection control as fewer hospital-acquired infections save money and resources.
• Cuts energy bills with better temperature and light control, offering up to 20 % annual energy savings in some hospitals.
• It’s durable with a lifespan of over a decade compared to frequent curtain turnover. 

7. Design, Wellbeing, and Aesthetics

Smart glass supports healing architecture—private rooms, natural light, low noise—all shown to improve recovery. Modern smart glass aesthetics are sleek, minimalist, and flexible: operable doors, coloured opacity, projection surfaces, and display capabilities support staff–patient communication.

Where Can Smart Glass Be Used in Hospitals?

The versatility of smart glass means it can be used in a variety of clinical settings. Common use cases include:

• Patient rooms and bays: Instant privacy between beds or from the corridor.
• Operating theatres: Allow visibility from observation areas, which can be blocked out during procedures.
• ICUs and high-dependency units: Balances patient privacy with monitoring needs.
• Consultation and examination rooms: Enhance confidentiality for patients.
• Maternity wards and neonatal care units: Provide privacy during sensitive family moments.
• Mental health facilities: Balance safety with the need for private, calm environments.

Final Thoughts

In an age where privacy is more important than ever, smart glass offers a powerful, adaptable solution for hospitals. It helps ensure patients are treated with dignity, supports staff in delivering efficient care, and contributes to safer, more hygienic environments.

At SmartPro, we believe that the future of healthcare is intelligent, clean, and responsive, and smart glass is playing a vital role in that future.

If you’re interested in how smart glass could benefit your healthcare facility, we’re here to help. From initial consultation to installation and support, SmartPro provides tailored solutions designed with your patients and your staff.

Get in touch today to learn more.