• Laura R Kroening, Rachel E Kinsler, Jeffrey J Molles, and Amy L Lloyd.
• Enroute Care Group, U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory, Fort Novosel, AL 36362, USA.
• Mil Med. 2023 Nov 8; 188 (Suppl 6): 225231225-231.

IntroductionThis study sought to examine the efficacy of integrating medical device alarms into the intercommunication set of a simulated HH-60, allowing medics to hear the alarms over the ambient noise of the aeromedical environment.Materials And MethodsU.S. Army critical care flight paramedics were recruited as subjects for this study. Subjects participated in two testing scenarios: One with patient monitor alarms integrated into their communication lines and one without integrated alarms (the control condition). Testing took place in a simulated HH-60 interior with two priority-level patients per testing scenario, one on either side of the interior. Subjects provided care to these two patients for 30 minutes per scenario. After both scenarios were complete, the subjects were given a questionnaire to obtain their feedback on alarm integration.ResultsSix subjects took part in this study, so the results do not have sufficient power to represent the population. No statistically significant results were found. Looking at the trends in the data, implementing alarm integration showed the indications of reducing reaction time to alarms, decreasing or matching the amount of time spent with the patient monitor, and equivalent amounts of time dedicated to patient treatment when compared to the nonintegrated scenario.The feedback obtained from the subjects provided a list of perceived benefits, drawbacks, and improvements related to the integration of medical device alarms into the intercommunication set.ConclusionsAlthough the study was underpowered, the trends in the data indicate a benefit to the medics when integrating medical device alarms. When coupled with strongly favorable end-user feedback, the results provide justification for pursuing the effort of integrating alarms and performing future studies with improved integration systems to optimize the potential of the system.Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States 2023. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

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