Alarms make up a large part of the noise level in the room. A low-stimulus environment is a challenge for every hospital, especially in neonatology and children’s departments. The Neonatology department of Ghent University Hospital experienced this. With the arrival of a major new construction project, this hospital aims to optimally prepare for a care environment with more peace and quiet for employees, patients and their families.
The solution
In an environment with fewer stimuli, the project team mainly looks at the amount of noise in the room, including alarm signals from medical equipment. Alarms are a big part of that. By intelligently sending signals from monitors to nurses’ smartphones, it is possible to even silence the medical device. This is done with medical software. The alarm distribution system (ADS) delivers remaining emergency signals to the appropriate healthcare providers for safe patient monitoring. Estimating the alarm load in advance helps to draw up a responsible schedule for the most intensive patient population. The itemedical alarm coach supports the nursing team and medical technicians.
What changed
- Brand-independent filtering and delay on clinical relevance of alarms.
- Safe chain thanks to the Medical Alarm System with a fall-back to the Medical Call System.
- Safe ‘silent room’ concept: the door can be closed, the monitors are as quiet as possible and the nurse receives the relevant signals.
- Parents retain privacy in the room and enjoy the peace and quiet together with their baby.
Nurses go home with a calmer mind due to the reduction of noise and stimuli, we filter the alarms better.
Karen Van Quekelberghe, Adjunct Neonatology Nurse at UZ Ghent, Belgium