What started as a technical challenge around data integration at Tergooi MC developed into a broader approach to medical alarm management. After moving to its new hospital, Tergooi MC wanted to send data from new infusion pumps both to the EHR and to the alarm distribution system. itemedical’s Medical Device Data Gateway (MDDG) provided the solution.
When Tergooi MC later also routed monitor alarms through the MDDG, the hospital gained insight into the alarm chain. This shifted the question from: Are the alarms being transmitted correctly? to: Which alarms really need to be sent immediately to the healthcare phone? This insight formed the basis for targeted alarm reduction across six departments. The result? 69% fewer low-priority alarms were forwarded, measured across six departments after introducing a five-second delay.
The solution
Using the alarm data from the MDDG, the alarm committee worked together with itemedical’s alarm management specialist to analyse alarm flows for each department. For each department, they mapped alarm volumes, alarm profiles and the expected impact of different delays for low-priority alarms.
Because every department works differently, the analysis was carried out separately for each one. Experience and reference data from other hospitals helped the committee assess potential optimisation opportunities.
Based on the analysis, Tergooi MC decided to introduce a five-second delay for low-priority alarms throughout the hospital.
What changed
- The MDDG provided access not only to medical device data, but also to alarm data for analysis
- Alarm data and the expertise of the alarm management specialist supported targeted optimisation
- A five-second delay was applied to low-priority alarms
- 69% fewer low-priority alarms were forwarded
- Alarms that resolved themselves within those five seconds were no longer sent to the healthcare phone
- Tergooi MC gained greater control over the alarm chain and the optimisation process
The MDDG really is the connecting link for me. It gives you much better insight into what your are doing as a whole. You can see what you are doing and what it delivers.
Roy Donker, ICT Application Manager and member of the Alarm Management Committee, Tergooi MC, The Netherlands
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