Observations and recommendations have been developed to improve the impact of clinical alarms on patient safety. Significant findings consisted of 1) recommendations to the medical device industry to greatly improve parameter acquisition accuracy, use "smart" alarm technology, and intelligent alarm systems including appropriate tie-in to IHE, and 2) recommendations to consider ISO/IEC 60601-1-8 alarm standards. From a patient care perspective, clear outcomes of the study included a strong clinical response showing false alarms to be the most significant issue, along with the need to manage alarms through prioritization, training and work processes assessment. Future directions are aimed at awareness, a focused effort towards the reduction of false alarms, and soliciting all constituents involved in clinical alarms to meet and develop action plans to address key issues.

This paper would not be possible without the contributions of a Task Force of clinical engineers, academic professionals, and consultants. Monthly meetings over the past year and one-half and additional volunteer pasted project work resulted in the completion of the first stage of the project – all task force members contributed.

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