MASKS. You just ID’d the prob. Even tho the acoustics are awful, there’s not much you can do if the hospital protocol is to wear a MASK.
On top of the hard surfaces, I’ve found that most exam offices and hospital rooms have equipment that buzzes, hums or even roars. When I get my annual mamogram, the technician stands off in a corner, back turned to me so she can look at her screen and something in there is ROARING as they take the digital image.
Not all medical facilities use see-thru face masks (like my old audi’s clinic would use). And even then, voices are distorted when the sound waves are blocked. In a real pinch, I’d have a doctor use a cell phone to call me on my cell phone - yes, right in the room. That way, they’d be streaming directly into my aids and I’d have a much better chance of hearing every single word.