The future of sound in patient monitoring: a call to action to embrace the evidence and move forward.
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 40355168.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1016/j.bja.2025.03.012 and PMC identifier 12106901.
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Abstract
Patient monitoring systems have relied on beeping alarm sounds for the past 70 years, yet evidence suggests that these conventional tones limit alarm effectiveness, informativeness, and user situation awareness. More advanced alarm modalities, such as auditory icons and voice alerts, offer more intuitive approaches, and were found to improve alarm detection and reduce caregiver workload. Made possible by adoptions of international standards, and supported by evidence, the future of patient monitoring alarm sounds might incorporate conventional alarm tones with auditory icons, voice alerts, and advanced visualisations to better support caregivers and reduce alarm fatigue in patients and caregivers. Sound examples for advanced alarm modalities, comparisons with conventional alarm sounds, and alarm sound examples from aviation are provided in an online supplementary video.
Medical subject headings
- Clinical Alarms
- Sound