“Alarm fatigue” – which can lead to serious and sometimes fatal consequence for patients — is rated as a top concern by 19 out of every 20 hospitals in the U.S., according to a new national survey presented at the Society for Technology in Anesthesia (STA) Annual Meeting held in Orlando Jan. 15-18. Continue reading “‘Alarm fatigue’ a top-of-mind concern for U.S. hospitals, finds national survey presented at Society for Technology in Anesthesia Annual Meeting”
Tag: alarm fatigue
3 Questions About Patient Safety and PCA with Brian and Cindy Abbiehl from A Promise to Amanda Foundation
by Sean Power
December 12, 2013
The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health and Safety released their findings from the First National Survey on Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA) Safety Practices. Continue reading “3 Questions About Patient Safety and PCA with Brian and Cindy Abbiehl from A Promise to Amanda Foundation”
Clinical Tip: Alarm Fatigue the Newest Clinical Hazard
By Lynn Razzano RN, MSN, ONCC (Clinical Nurse Consultant)
Increasingly we are seeing publications, alerts and evidence of the clinical phenomena entitled: “Alarm Fatigue”. What is the scope of this latest hazard and what are the new implications for clinical practice change. Continue reading “Clinical Tip: Alarm Fatigue the Newest Clinical Hazard”
INFOGRAPHIC: First National Survey of Patient-Controlled Analgesia Practices
Share this image on your site
Copy the text in the box below and paste it into your website HTML editor.
[sourcecode language=”html” wraplines=”true”]
<p>
<strong>Please include attribution to the <a href="/">Physician-Patient Alliance for Health and Safety</a> with this graphic.</strong>
<br /><br />
<a href=’/2013/10/30/infographic-first-national-survey-of-patient-controlled-analgesia-practices/’>
<img src=’/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/1stnatsurvey_pca_2013_800x4120_72dpi-01.jpg’ alt=’First National Survey of Patient-Controlled Analgesia Practices’ width=’540px’ border=’0′ />
</a>
</p>
[/sourcecode]
For Improving Patient Safety and Reducing Nuisance Alarms, Evidence Points to Revising Default Settings
by Sean Power and Michael Wong
Alarm fatigue and nuisance alarms put patient safety at risk. The Joint Commission’s Sentinel Event Alert on alarm safety states that between 85 percent and 99 percent of alarm signals do not require clinical intervention — and these nuisance alarms desensitize clinicians. Continue reading “For Improving Patient Safety and Reducing Nuisance Alarms, Evidence Points to Revising Default Settings”
4 Patient Safety Articles We Recommend
by Sean Power
With half of 2013 behind us, we took some time to reflect on the patient safety articles we’ve shared with this community. This reflection made us think about articles we haven’t shared–articles about which we wanted to write but did not have the bandwidth to do so at the time.
With that, I’d like to share four articles we think should be read by healthcare professionals working with patient-controlled analgesia. Continue reading “4 Patient Safety Articles We Recommend”
Two Resources on Alarm Safety from The Joint Commission and the ECRI Institute
by Sean Power
When The Joint Commission released its Sentinel Event Alert 50 on medical device alarm safety in hospitals it produced an infographic about the issue. The infographic summarizes the scope of the problem, shares data about reported alarm safety events, and offers recommendations to address the issue. The ECRI Institute also has a poster on alarm safety with recommendations for improving alarm management.
Let’s take a look at both resources. Continue reading “Two Resources on Alarm Safety from The Joint Commission and the ECRI Institute”
Three Lessons Learned to Reduce Alarm Fatigue and Improve Alarm Management in Hospitals
Three lessons learned about alarm fatigue and better alarm management – (1) to reduce alarms turn to John Hopkins research, (2) patient surveillance monitoring improves patient safety, (3) reducing leads can reduce alarms by 22%.
According to The Joint Commission, alarm fatigue occurs when clinicians become desensitized or immune to the sound of an alarm. Fatigued clinicians may:
- Turn down alarm volume
- Turn off alarm
- Adjust alarm settings.
Any of these actions may jeopardize patient safety. Continue reading “Three Lessons Learned to Reduce Alarm Fatigue and Improve Alarm Management in Hospitals”
Alarm Fatigue Articles Around the Web
by Sean Power
The Joint Commission’s Sentinel Event Alert 50 earlier this month on alarm fatigue has generated attention from news outlets ranging from international giants like Bloomberg Businessweek to niche healthcare publications like Medical News Today.
Below we have collected some of the coverage on the topic. Continue reading “Alarm Fatigue Articles Around the Web”
90% of Patient Alarms Are “False”: Two recommendations for tackling alarm fatigue
The non-profit Connecticut Health Investigative Team [C-HIT] (www.c-hit.org) recently reported what Connecticut hospitals are doing to tackle a phenomenon known industry-wide as alarm fatigue.
As stated in their report “Hospitals Mobilize To Tackle Alarm Fatigue”: Continue reading “90% of Patient Alarms Are “False”: Two recommendations for tackling alarm fatigue”