Application of automated human voice delivery to warning devices in an intensive care unit: a laboratory study.
Environmental concerns about the delivery of warning messages in intensive care units exist in the belief that conventional non-verbal alarm signals are perceived to be threatening by some patients. There is also a significant opportunity for error in interpretation by fatigued or anxious personnel. A laboratory study was undertaken to determine whether human subjects made fewer errors when messages regarding ICU related tasks were delivered by tape recorded human voice than by the non-verbal signals derived from devices in the ICU. Results demonstrated a statistically significant superiority of human voice messages over non-verbal signals. It is concluded that taped human voice messages merit field trials in intensive care units.
McIntyre
J W
JW
Department of Anaesthesia, University of Alberta Hospitals, Canada.
Nelson
T M
TM
D003199:Computer Systems; D004868:Equipment Failure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013637:Tape Recording; D014831:Voice