Utilizing virtual reality to improve ICU visual displays.

Area of Science:

• Medical technology
• Human-computer interaction
• Clinical informatics

Background:

• Intensive care unit (ICU) clinicians face sensory overload from over 900 daily alarms, leading to response delays and errors.
• Object-based visual displays integrating vital signs show promise for faster, more accurate responses than standard ICU alarms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and evaluate a novel ring-based visual alarm system integrating heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), and peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2).
• To assess the system's effectiveness using a virtual reality (VR) testing environment for controlled and replicable evaluations.

Main Methods:

• A ring-based display was compared against a previously validated graph-based display in a VR environment using HTC VIVE Pro Eye headset.
• Participant speed and accuracy in identifying simulated clinical events were measured, with head orientation software tracking display focus.

Main Results:

• The ring-based display demonstrated 33% higher accuracy and a 1.00-second faster mean response time than the graph-based display when shown individually.
• When both displays were presented, participants viewed the ring-based display 82.2% of the time, indicating preference and attention.

Conclusions:

• The ring-based visual alarm system significantly enhances alarm identification accuracy and reduces response times compared to graph-based displays.
• Virtual reality offers a robust platform for testing and evaluating medical interfaces.
• Future research should incorporate eye-tracking and develop multi-sensory alarm systems.