title: Medical audible alarms: a review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This paper summarizes much of the research that is applicable to the design of auditory alarms in a medical context. It also summarizes research that demonstrates that false alarm rates are unacceptably high, meaning that the proper application of auditory alarm design principles are compromised.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Designers, users, and manufacturers of medical information and monitoring systems that indicate when medical or other parameters are exceeded and that are indicated by an auditory signal or signals.
  
  
  METHODS
  The emergence of alarms as a 'hot topic'; an outline of the issues and design principles, including IEC 60601-1-8; the high incidence of false alarms and its impact on alarm design and alarm fatigue; approaches to reducing alarm fatigue; alarm philosophy explained; urgency in audible alarms; different classes of sound as alarms; heterogeneity in alarm set design; problems with IEC 60601-1-8 and ways of approaching this design problem.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK. jedworthy@plymouth.ac.uk
authors.forename: Judy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Edworthy
mesh_terms: D056902:Clinical Alarms; D004868:Equipment Failure; D006801:Humans; D013016:Sound