When is Less More? Attention and Workload in Auditory, Visual, and Redundant Patient-Monitoring Conditions

Abstract

Auditory signals can take the form of "auditory displays" that communicate information redundant to visual displays.These redundant displays may allow offioading some visual workload to the auditory channel. The current study examines the effect of visual, auditory and redundant displays on the performance of a dual-task simulation of patient monitoring. Subjects performed manual compensatory tracking task while monitoring six vital signs of a simulated patient, detecting deviations from normal levels. Monitoring was presented in three display conditions: auditory only, visual only, and redundant. Results indicate that the detection of deviations in visual and redundant conditions were not significantly different, but faster than the auditory display. However, performance in the tracking task was degraded least in the auditory condition, and the redundant display resulted in poorest performance--an example of a negative redundancy-gain.Reasons for this finding are examined through data from eye-movement recordings. This negative redundancy gain is also discussed.

Sonification Supports Eyes-Free Respiratory Monitoring and Task Time-Sharing

“…US5730140, 1998;Fitch & Kramer, 1994;Loeb & Fitch, 2002;Seagull, Wickens, & Loeb, 2001;Watson & Sanderson, 2001). Sonifications have been developed that add blood pressure (BP), respiration rate (RR), end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO 2 ), tidal volume (V T ), and even temperature and pupillary reflex to the HR and O 2 sonification found in pulse oximetry.…”

Tailoring reveals information requirements: the case of anaesthesia alarms

“…Several authors have suggested using continuous auditory displayssonifications-to present physiological information, so replacing reliance upon auditory alarms and visual displays with continuous auditory information (Fitch and Kramer, 1994;Loeb and Fitch, 2002;Seagull et al, 2001;Watson et al, 2000a;Watson and Sanderson, 2004). If an effective sonification of key physiological parameters could be developed, the operator's dependence on threshold alarms might be reduced.…”

Using Interference Models to Predict Performance in a Multiple-Task UAV Environment - 2 UAVs

“…Perceptual modalities -as we have noted above, it is sometimes easier to divide attention between the eye and ear than between two visual or two auditory channels (e.g., Parkes & Coleman, 1990;Rollins & Hendricks, 1980;Seagull, Wickens, & Loeb, 2001;Wickens, Sandry, & Vidulich, 1983). For example, is easier for pilots to listen to instructions while scanning the outside world than to read information off a display while performing the same scanning task.…”