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Licensed Unlicensed Requires Authentication Published by De Gruyter November 26, 2014

A human factors perspective on medical device alarms: problems with operating alarming devices and responding to device alarms

  • Kathrin Lange EMAIL logo , Miriam Nowak and Wolfgang Lauer

Abstract

Medical devices emit alarms when a problem with the device or with the patient needs to be addressed by healthcare personnel. At present, problems with device alarms are frequently discussed in the literature, the main message being that patient safety is compromised because device alarms are not as effective and safe as they should – and could – be. There is a general consensus that alarm-related hazards result, to a considerable degree, from the interactions of human users with the device. The present paper addresses key aspects of human perception and cognition that may relate to both operating alarming devices and responding to device alarms. Recent publications suggested solutions to alarm-related hazards associated with usage errors based on assumptions on the causal relations between, for example, alarm management and human perception, cognition, and responding. However, although there is face validity in many of these assumptions, future research should provide objective empirical evidence in order to deepen our understanding of the actual causal relationships, and hence improve and expand the possibilities for taking appropriate action.


Corresponding author: Kathrin Lange, Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices, Research Division, Kurt-Georg-Kiesinger Allee 3, 53175 Bonn, Germany, Phone: +49(0)228 993 074 008

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Dr. Robin Seidel and Dr. med. Andrea Brinker and two anonymous reviewers for helpful comments.

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Received: 2014-7-15
Accepted: 2014-10-24
Published Online: 2014-11-26
Published in Print: 2016-4-1

©2016 by De Gruyter

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