Development of an alarm sound database and simulator
Akihiro Takeuchi1, Minoru Hirose, Toshiro Shinbo
1Department of Medical Informatics, School of Allied Health Sciences, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 228-8555, Japan. take@kitasato-u.ac.jp
Journal of Clinical Monitoring and Computing
|August 31, 2006
Summary
This study developed an interactive software package for medical alarm sounds, aiding staff in recognizing and sharing issues. The tool helps identify devices and alarm priorities, though accurate identification rates varied.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Medical Informatics
- Human Factors Engineering
Background:
- Medical device alarms are critical for patient safety but can be confusing.
- Distinguishing between numerous alarm sounds and their priorities is challenging for healthcare professionals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an interactive software package for presenting, recognizing, and sharing information about medical alarm sounds.
- To facilitate communication about alarm sound issues between medical staff and device manufacturers.
Main Methods:
- Recorded 80 alarm sound files from 41 medical devices under variable conditions.
- Developed an alarm sound database (ASDB.xls) and an alarm sound simulator (AlmSS) software package.
- Assessed the ability of 19 clinical engineers to identify 13 alarm sounds and their priorities using the AlmSS.
Main Results:
- The software package integrated a database of 80 alarm sounds and a simulator for interactive use.
- Overall correct identification rate for alarm sounds was 48%, with six sounds recognized by 63-100% of subjects.
- Recognition rate for alarm sound priority was low at 27%.
Conclusions:
- An interactive software package integrating a database and simulator for medical alarm sounds was successfully developed.
- The Alarm Sound Simulator (AlmSS) proved useful for replaying multiple sounds and interactively designing new ones.
- The developed tool can aid in understanding and improving medical alarm sound management.
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