Simple Solutions for Improving Patient Safety In Cardiac Monitoring— Eight Critical Elements to Monitor Alarm Competency

Presbyterian Hospital UPMC is a large multi-hospital system. Through pilot programs and trial and error, it has sought to find commonalities in alarm management between different units. Permission to Copy We encourage you to share this paper with your colleagues. You may freely reproduce this publication for educational purposes only, provided that proper attribution is made as follows: Copied with the permission of the AAMI Foundation and the Healthcare Technology Safety Institute. This publication may not be copied in part or in whole for commercial use. The views expressed in this publication do not represent the views of the AAMI Foundation or HTSI. The work of the AAMI Foundation is intended to be a helpful resource for healthcare delivery organizations, so that every organization does not have to reinvent the wheel or start their technology management work from scratch. It does not constitute legal, regulatory, operational, or procedural advice, nor does it constitute a standard of care. It is essential that each healthcare delivery organization assess the material in the context of its own organizational needs, culture, technology, and priorities. Founded within the AAMI Foundation, the 501(c) (3) charitable arm of AAMI, the HTSI is a community of leaders throughout the healthcare system that are dedicated to one common vision, " No patient will be harmed by medical technology. " HTSI's mission is " To engage the entire healthcare community in multidisciplinary safety initiatives that strengthen the development, management, and use of medical technology for improved patient outcomes. " HTSI engages the healthcare community in research, education, consensus, and partnerships related to the challenges facing healthcare technology industries, regulatory and accrediting bodies, clinicians, caregivers, and patients. State of the ALARM SYSTEM when it has determined that a potential or actual HAZARD exists NOTE 1 An ALARM CONDITION can be invalid, i.e. a FALSE POSITIVE ALARM CONDITION. Type of signal generated by the ALARM SYSTEM to indicate the presence (or occurrence) of an ALARM CONDITION From IEC 60601-1-8:2006, Medical electrical equipment – Part 1-8: General requirements for basic safety and essential performance – Collateral Standard: General requirements, tests and guidance for alarm systems in medical electrical equipment and medical electrical systems 3