Presentation
Reducing Excessive Reliance on Current ICU Alarm Systems: Foundations for Designing Novel Visual Patient Physiologic Monitor Displays
SessionPoster Session 2
Event Type
Poster
TimeWednesday, October 12th4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT
LocationPoster Gallery
DescriptionObjective
This study investigates whether subjective and physiological aspects of task load during ICU monitoring are affected by the position and visual design of patient information displays. Background
Overreliance on auditory alarms compromises ICU clinicians’ efficiency, and subsequent fatigue reduces analytical capacity and quality care. Strategies to redistribute auditory load to other sensory systems led us to develop an innovative display that combines several patient parameters into configural and numerical representations.
Method
Thirty-three undergraduates completed a background task and emergency physiologic monitoring across four variations of display layouts through an experiment running in MATLAB. Performance for emergency responses and background tasks, workload surveys, and pupil dilation data were collected throughout the within–subjects design.
Results
The ease of use and performance success are affected by left-right position and eccentricity. Participants’ workload responses and pupil dilation data jointly demonstrate significantly higher task load as eccentricity increases. While position did not induce significant differences in response times and workload or physiological responses, interactions between positions and eccentricity revealed preferences for positioning the configural representation in the right hemisphere.
Conclusion
Findings suggest that closer and centered positioning of the two representations reduces workload. The configural representation presents a right-side preference; however, left-right positioning remains undetermined.
Application
This research will not only advance the development of optimal visual displays in the ICU but also accelerate the exploration of additional sensory alarms, such as haptics. Common findings in subjective workload responses and physiological eye-tracking data also adds credence to multiple avenues of usability measurements.
This study investigates whether subjective and physiological aspects of task load during ICU monitoring are affected by the position and visual design of patient information displays. Background
Overreliance on auditory alarms compromises ICU clinicians’ efficiency, and subsequent fatigue reduces analytical capacity and quality care. Strategies to redistribute auditory load to other sensory systems led us to develop an innovative display that combines several patient parameters into configural and numerical representations.
Method
Thirty-three undergraduates completed a background task and emergency physiologic monitoring across four variations of display layouts through an experiment running in MATLAB. Performance for emergency responses and background tasks, workload surveys, and pupil dilation data were collected throughout the within–subjects design.
Results
The ease of use and performance success are affected by left-right position and eccentricity. Participants’ workload responses and pupil dilation data jointly demonstrate significantly higher task load as eccentricity increases. While position did not induce significant differences in response times and workload or physiological responses, interactions between positions and eccentricity revealed preferences for positioning the configural representation in the right hemisphere.
Conclusion
Findings suggest that closer and centered positioning of the two representations reduces workload. The configural representation presents a right-side preference; however, left-right positioning remains undetermined.
Application
This research will not only advance the development of optimal visual displays in the ICU but also accelerate the exploration of additional sensory alarms, such as haptics. Common findings in subjective workload responses and physiological eye-tracking data also adds credence to multiple avenues of usability measurements.
Authors
