Alarmed: sensory approaches to improving medical alarm systems

Medical alarms sound incessantly, loudly, and dissonantly, contributing to an already noisy ICU and OR soundscape, and ultimately harming both patients and staff. Sometimes triggered in error, the sheer number of alarms distracts health care professionals and results in sensory overload that contributes to hospital staff’s alarm fatigue. In turn, staff become increasingly likely to ignore alarms instead of acting on them. Furthermore, the patients’ sensitivity to alarms disturbs their hospital stay, raises their stress levels, and impedes their recovery process, with sometimes lasting effects. This article considers the sensory effects of hospital alarms and possibilities for redesigning future alarm systems, with the goal of eventually creating a more calming, less stressful, and safer hospital soundscape environment for all.