Philips Sounds transform the sound of care, reducing patient monitoring alarm noise by up to 66%
February 06 2024 - 9:00AM
Philips Sounds transform the sound of care, reducing patient
monitoring alarm noise by up to 66%
February 6, 2024
FDA 510(k) clearance of latest Philips IntelliVue patient
monitor software helps drive alarm management strategies toward a
more peaceful, healing environment for patients and caregivers
Amsterdam, the Netherlands – Advances in
healthcare technology continue to drive patient monitoring
technology into the future; however, alarm sounds have remained
similar, if not unchanged, for many years. Until now. Royal
Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), has received 510(k) clearance
for its latest IntelliVue patient monitor software, which features
the long-anticipated availability of several new solutions,
including the award-winning Philips Sounds alarm package, making it
available in the USA and more than 200 countries worldwide.
Noise in hospitals can impact the quality of life and health of
patients, their families, and their care providers. In the average
ICU, patient monitors account for up to 82% of alarm tones [1] with
up to 350 alarms per patient every day [2]. While alarms function
to gain attention, over time the sheer number of them can wear down
caregivers [3] and contribute to the anxiety of patients and their
families [4]. To help drive alarm management strategies toward a
more peaceful, healing environment for patients and caregivers
alike, Philips has applied a fresh perspective to acute patient
monitor alarm sounds by collaborating with clinicians and
world-leading sound experts.
“While alarms in acute care settings must be effective, they
should be sensible, informative, and respectful of the surrounding
environment and the people in it,” says Christoph Pedain, Business
Leader, Hospital Patient Monitoring, Philips. “Throughout the
process, we asked for input from care providers, administrators,
patients and their families who are exposed to these alarms
regularly and leveraged powerful data to help improve the
experience overall.”
The IntelliVue alarm evolution involved a significant research
investment to capture and implement input from care providers and
patients in alarm-heavy environments. Together, Philips and the
sound design group SenSound worked to soften and round the alarm
tones and adjust alarm intervals to more gently signal status or
request action using a more soothing – yet still impactful – set of
alarm sounds. These changes are designed to help improve the
patient and caregiver experience. Philips’ new patient monitoring
sounds have been proven to reduce alarm noise by up to 66% [5].
“Alarm management within the hospital setting is complicated and
multifaceted, and even the smallest change will have an enormous
impact,” says Andreas Walden, Usability Leader, Hospital Patient
Monitoring at Philips. “When we think about medical alarms
generally, we make sure they are audible, prompt action, and can be
differentiated from other sounds. But we haven’t asked questions
like ‘Is this something a nurse on a 12-hour shift should hear
every day?’ or ‘Can a sick patient hear this without getting
scared?’ The ability to address those concerns is the beginning of
transforming the entire soundscape in the hospital.”
With over one million IntelliVue patient monitors in use [6],
the evolution of our monitor sounds means the potential to enhance
and change the soundscape in healthcare facilities worldwide,
helping to advance the healing environment for both patients and
hospital staff.
Beyond the sound of careAdditional noteworthy
capabilities within the new IntelliVue software update, including
Philips Visual Patient Avatar, are now available in the USA and
more than 200 countries worldwide. For more information about
Philips’ portfolio of alarm management solutions, visit
philips.com/alarm-sounds or contact your regional sales rep for
local availability.
[1] Cho, O. M., Kim, H., Lee, Y. W., & Cho, I. (2016).
Clinical Alarms in Intensive Care Units: Perceived Obstacles of
Alarm Management and Alarm Fatigue in Nurses. Healthcare
Informatics Research, 22(1), 46–53. [2] Jones K. (2014). Alarm
fatigue a top patient safety hazard. CMAJ : Canadian Medical
Association journal = journal de l’Association medicale canadienne,
186(3), 178. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.109-4696.[3] Topf
& Dillon, 1988; Topf, 2000; Morrison et al., 2003; Ryherd et
al., 2008; J. P. Keller et al., 2011; Watson et al., 2015; Cho et
al., 2016.[4] Topf, 2000; Basner, 2011; Shivers et al., 2013;
Basner et al., 2014; Sakallaris et al., 2015; Sen & Sen,
2020[5] Compared to previous Philips alarm sounds as it relates to
intervals. The Philips 2021 interval for cyan alarms is every 2
seconds compared to every 6 seconds with traditional sounds.[6]
Based in internal sales data.
For further information, please contact:
Meredith AmorosoPhilips Global Press OfficeTel: +1 724 584
8991E-Mail: meredith.amoroso@philips.com
About Royal Philips Royal
Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology
company focused on improving people's health and well-being through
meaningful innovation. Philips’ patient- and people-centric
innovation leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and
consumer insights to deliver personal health solutions for
consumers and professional health solutions for healthcare
providers and their patients in the hospital and the home.
Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in
diagnostic imaging, ultrasound, image-guided therapy, monitoring
and enterprise informatics, as well as in personal health. Philips
generated 2023 sales of EUR 18.2 billion and employs approximately
69,700 employees with sales and services in more than 100
countries. News about Philips can be found at
www.philips.com/newscenter.
- Philips Sounds now available at hospital bedsides in more than
200 countries
- Philips and SenSound reimagined patient monitoring to both
soften and reduce alarm sounds
- An acute care nurse turns off a bedside alarm
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