At Jeroen Bosch Hospital (JBZ), a continuous flow of alarms — from critical warnings to non-urgent notifications — had led to alarm fatigue. Nurses were constantly interrupted, parents felt stressed, and patients found it harder to rest. Over time, awareness grew: only the truly relevant alerts should receive attention.
The solution
JBZ chose the alarm management system by CLB, with a central role for the Medical Device Data Gateway (MDDG) from itemedical. Thanks to intelligent filtering and delay functions, only clinically relevant alarms are sent to the nurses’ smartphones.
Implementation took place gradually and through a multidisciplinary approach:
- Pediatrics as pilot unit – testing, collecting feedback, and fine-tuning settings
- Baseline measurement & dashboards – insight into alarm frequency, types, and priorities per department
- Continuous fine-tuning – ongoing optimisation based on real-world data
- Step-by-step rollout – now active in Neonatology, the MICT department and Pulmonology, each adapted to specific needs and improvement cycles.
What changed
- Reduced alarm load and improved atmosphere on the ward
- More calm and focus for nurses
- A less stimulating environment for patients and parents, fostering trust and tranquillity
- Data as a compass for continuous improvement.
Nurses once again have the space to be truly present with their patients, without interruptions from constant beeps.
Sanne Scheepens, Coordinating nurse Neonatal Unit, Jeroen Bosch Ziekenhuis, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands