Can technology further improve the safety of anesthesia?

Improvements in monitoring technology have made it possible to collect extensive amounts of physiological data from patients. This volume of data has enormous potential to assist in diagnosis and treatment, but is relatively untapped due to unintelligent monitors and limited human attention. To improve patient care and prevent adverse outcomes, we need to integrate the averaged variables, trend information and expert knowledge. Continued improvements to patient safety are hampered by three key factors: unintelligent alarm systems, excessive data, and human cognitive limitations. A concerted effort is required, using a multifaceted approach, to harness the potential of the vast amount of information produced at the clinical interface.