Managing delirium, data overload and alarm fatigue in the ICU

Estimated reading time: 3-5 minutes

In any given health system, data is integral to the success of value-based care. However, data is only useful if it’s meaningful and actionable. Alarm fatigue is a major challenge in hospitals across the globe. The very alarm tools put in place to help clinicians are actually making them feel more overwhelmed, and the inundation of noise makes the technology counterproductive.

Alarm fatigue can lead to the silencing of alarms, breaking monitoring protocols and missing true positive alarms jeopardizing patient safety. For short-staffed nurses, false alarms are more than annoyances, with approximately 10% of nursing time lost responding to non-actionable alarms. Beyond patient safety risks, alarm fatigue can also cause stress, depression, reduced productivity and burnout among clinicians.

Considering patients, staff and families may be exposed to up to 700 alarms a day [1], it’s no surprise that alarm fatigue is a serious problem. Yet few hospitals have comprehensive programs to manage “alarm pollution.”

To actively address these challenges, health systems need to equip clinicians with the tools to connect and synthesize data in real-time, giving care teams visibility into the right patient data at the right time, regardless of where they are in the hospital. Tools like the Alarm Advisor, available on the Philips Patient Information Center iX (PIC iX), track silencing behavior and provide guidance to adapt alarm limits specific to the patient.

Reducing non-actionable alarms was the driving force behind the development of the Philips Information Center iX (PIC iX), the heart of the Philips Patient Monitoring solution.

Felix Baader

Business Leader, Monitoring & Analytics at Philips

“Reducing non-actionable alarms was the driving force behind the development of the Philips Information Center iX (PIC iX), the heart of the Philips Patient Monitoring solution. The central monitoring system fits securely into your hospital’s IT environment to capture a steady stream of virtually gap-free patient data and feed it directly to the EMR. It gives on-the-move caregivers’ visibility to a patient’s changing condition, no matter where care takes place. And it taps the power of advanced clinical decision support tools and smart alarms to help identify patients in need, so clinicians have the relevant information to make fast, informed care decisions with confidence."

– Dr. Felix Baader, Business Leader, Monitoring and Analytics, Philips

PIC iX is one of many Critical Care solutions featured at the upcoming 31st Annual European Society of Intensive Medicine (ESICM) Congress in Paris, where Philips will showcase smart intelligent solutions and platforms that represent the ICU of the future to address current intensive medicine challenges like tackling delirium, managing patient transitions and reducing nuisance alarms. At ESICM, Philips will spotlight bedside and transport monitors, central station, mobile applications and ultrasound and ventilation solutions, all designed to support its commitment to improving patient care, while addressing the ICU challenges of today and tomorrow. For more information, visit ESICM 2018.

Dr. Felix Baader is the Business Leader of Monitoring & Analytics at Philips, where he is responsible for leading the global patient monitoring business within Philips.

Felix Baader is the Business Leader of Monitoring & Analytics at Philips, where he is responsible for leading the global patient monitoring business within Philips.

Follow Felix Baader on LinkedIn.

[1] Cvach, M., "Monitor Alarm Fatigue: An Integrative Review", Biomedical Instrumentation & Technology, July/August 2012, pp. 268-277.