Super Alarm
Background and Challenge
A UCSF study found ICU patients are exposed to an average of 187 audible alarms per bed per day, with over 88 percent of arrhythmia alarms proving false positives. Layered onto the constant noise of a busy ICU, this creates a dangerous phenomenon known as alarm fatigue. It’s no surprise that clinicians often tune out, silence, or disable alarms—fueling a nationwide safety crisis that extends far beyond intensive care units.
SOM Tech worked with UCSF clinicians and researchers to develop Super Alarm, a device that aggregates disparate data, captures trending patterns and filters out false alarms, so clinicians are only alerted when there is a situation that truly demands clinical attention.
One-page site
Bringing Life-Saving Ideas to the ICU
The team had already shown they can achieve 90 percent sensitivity in predicting ICU cases where a patient is in need of resuscitation – known in hospitals as code blue – and was on track to complete a prospective National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded clinical study.
As advisors to the Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) Digital Health program, SOM Tech worked with biomedical engineer Dr. Hu and his team to create an identity and pitch that helped their ideas get off the drawing board and into the ICU.
We worked with the team to shape their story, crystalize their value proposition, and create the Super Alarm website and identity.
Outcomes and Impact
By shaping the team’s story, clarifying their value proposition, and creating the website and identity, we helped secure a Catalyst Award win. Through workshops and collaborative design processes, we provided user experience insights that enabled Dr. Hu’s team to translate their highly technical solution into a more human-centered, accessible narrative.
My Work
UX: collaborated with stakeholders to map workflow, define value proposition, and identify problems
Designed website, icons, and visual identity
Advised on presentation strategy