Monitoring company joins effort to reduce alarm fatigue

This coalition, launched by the AAMI Foundation’s Healthcare Technology Safety Institute (HTSI), has expressed a concern over alarm burden on clinical staff, especially in long-term care environments where residents tend to be more mobile and where the threat of false or repetitive alarms is high.

The EarlySense System was specifically designed to assist caregivers in avoiding potentially adverse events, detecting patient deterioration sooner, or in alerting staff to patient movement, which may result in an unwanted bed exit, or in managing pressure ulcers, notes a press release. 

A study published recently at the American Journal of Medicine demonstrated that the company's system can reduce alarm frequency to as low as two to three alarms during a typical 12-hour shift when caring for five people. In comparison, devices that have been designed and intended for acute care environments can reach hundreds of alarms per shift.

“We are proud to take part in this effort to increase awareness on how to improve alarm management and hopefully drive improved patient safety by decreasing alarm fatigue,” said Tim O’Malley, president of EarlySense Inc. “It is our commitment as a responsible member of the medical device community to provide a solution that properly fits the clinical environment it is intended for, minimizes errors, enhances patient safety and optimizes patient outcomes.”