PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA -- While physiologic monitoring systems play a vital role in protecting patients, effectiveness can be compromised if alarms overwhelm clinical staff. Excessive alarms can distract nurses from performing other tasks that are important to patient care and can create a "cry wolf" environment in which nurses ignore or inappropriately inactivate alarm signals. In a recent Health Devices report, ECRI Institute (www.ecri.org), an independent nonprofit organization that researches best approaches to improving patient care, identifies common sources of unnecessary alarms and recommends steps to reduce them.

ECRI Institute's guidance article identifies several key sources of alarm overload: false alarms, technical alarms, inappropriate protocols for alarm inactivation, inappropriate alarm limits and settings, and overutilization of patient monitoring.

ECRI Institute experts recommend reducing occurrences of false and technical alarms by following good practices for monitoring electrode/sensor placement and application, training staff in appropriate protocols for alarm inactivation, and properly configuring alarm settings. For example, monitoring patients who do not medically require it can add to the quantity of alarms and increase staff desensitization. Developing guidelines for monitor use and overseeing compliance can help facilities avoid these problems.
This guidance article, titled "The Hazards of Alarm Overload," is published in Health Devices, a monthly journal provided to members of ECRI Institute's Health Devices System, Health Devices Gold, and SELECTplus™ programs. For nearly 40 years, Health Devices has featured comparative, brand-name evaluations of medical devices and systems based on extensive laboratory testing and clinical studies. ECRI Institute's evaluations focus on the safety, performance, efficacy, and human factors design of specific medical devices and technologies.

ECRI Institute (formerly ECRI), a nonprofit organization, dedicates itself to bringing the discipline of applied scientific research to healthcare to uncover the best approaches to improving patient care. As pioneers in this science for nearly 40 years, ECRI Institute marries experience and independence with the objectivity of evidence-based research. ECRI Institute is designated a Collaborating Center of the World Health Organization and an Evidence-based Practice Center by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

For information on purchasing the March 2007 issue of Health Devices or for information about Health Devices System membership, contact ECRI Institute by mail at 5200 Butler Pike, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462-1298, USA; by telephone at (610)825-6000, ext. 5891; by e-mail at clientservices(at)ecri.org; or by fax at (610) 834-0240.

More Industry Headlines