Alarm Fatigue

A phenomenon in which an individual becomes desensitised to alarms, alerts, or notifications due to their excessive frequency, repetitive nature, or lack of meaningful context, leading the person to ignore, snooze, or dismiss them. In healthcare and medication management, alarm fatigue can result in missed medications or safety events when users stop responding to reminders. In clinical settings, alarm fatigue among healthcare workers is a recognised patient safety concern. Designing effective reminder systems requires balancing persistence with user tolerance, providing contextual and varied messaging, and avoiding unnecessary repetition.