Non-actionable and clinically insignificant medical device alarms negatively impact patients, their families and the clinical staff. Analyze patient data to reveal the root causes of nuisance alarms.
Patient care requires continuous cognitive shifting and stacking to identify and prioritize clinical tasks. Processing the vast volume of information alone is stressful, then consider that shifting and stacking can potentially distract a clinician from noticing a warning sign of patient deterioration. The best result would be a slight delay in the delivery of needed care, while the worst result would be A Nurse’s Greatest Fear.