Sam Brusco, Associate Editor02.06.24
Philips has obtained U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance for its newest IntelliVue patient monitoring software, which features the Philips Sounds alarm package.
In the ICU, patient monitors can raise up to 350 alarms per patient, per day, The company and sound design group SenSound collaborated to soften and round alarm tones and adjust alarm intervals to more gently signal status or request action using a more soothing – yet still impactful – set of alarm sounds.
“While alarms in acute care settings must be effective, they should be sensible, informative, and respectful of the surrounding environment and the people in it,” said Christoph Pedain, Business Leader, Hospital Patient Monitoring, Philips. “Throughout the process, we asked for input from care providers, administrators, patients and their families who are exposed to these alarms regularly and leveraged powerful data to help improve the experience overall.”
Philips’ new patient monitoring sounds have been proven to reduce alarm noise by up to 66%.
“Alarm management within the hospital setting is complicated and multifaceted, and even the smallest change will have an enormous impact,” said Andreas Walden, Philips’ Usability Leader, Hospital Patient Monitoring. “When we think about medical alarms generally, we make sure they are audible, prompt action, and can be differentiated from other sounds. But we haven’t asked questions like ‘Is this something a nurse on a 12-hour shift should hear every day?’ or ‘Can a sick patient hear this without getting scared?’ The ability to address those concerns is the beginning of transforming the entire soundscape in the hospital.”
The company recently released a “Visual Patient Avatar” for its IntelliVue software, as well.
In the ICU, patient monitors can raise up to 350 alarms per patient, per day, The company and sound design group SenSound collaborated to soften and round alarm tones and adjust alarm intervals to more gently signal status or request action using a more soothing – yet still impactful – set of alarm sounds.
“While alarms in acute care settings must be effective, they should be sensible, informative, and respectful of the surrounding environment and the people in it,” said Christoph Pedain, Business Leader, Hospital Patient Monitoring, Philips. “Throughout the process, we asked for input from care providers, administrators, patients and their families who are exposed to these alarms regularly and leveraged powerful data to help improve the experience overall.”
Philips’ new patient monitoring sounds have been proven to reduce alarm noise by up to 66%.
“Alarm management within the hospital setting is complicated and multifaceted, and even the smallest change will have an enormous impact,” said Andreas Walden, Philips’ Usability Leader, Hospital Patient Monitoring. “When we think about medical alarms generally, we make sure they are audible, prompt action, and can be differentiated from other sounds. But we haven’t asked questions like ‘Is this something a nurse on a 12-hour shift should hear every day?’ or ‘Can a sick patient hear this without getting scared?’ The ability to address those concerns is the beginning of transforming the entire soundscape in the hospital.”
The company recently released a “Visual Patient Avatar” for its IntelliVue software, as well.