Candid Conversation - Associate Professor Michael Schutz - About Not So Pleasant Beeping Noses Medical Devices Make

Everyone at one point in their life is going to end up in the hospital. Some only a few times others a lot. It's pretty rare for anyone not to step foot into a hospital at one point in their lifetime. Along with patients there are of course those working in hospitals or who have worked in one. I did in the 1980's as a security guard, though most of my time was spent as a parking lot attendant. I still remember on the night and afternoon shift having to go through the emergency room to get to the main guard post to drop off my cash bag when the Juravinsky was known as the Henderson General here in Hamilton. As I passed through the department I heard the beeps bells and other alert tones of the diagnostic apparatus. If you were not fully awake you got there real quick. Those noises are loud. I have also been a patient, those noises are loud.

Imagine now, the fact that the staff in a hospital have to listen to this for an entire 8 or 12 hour shift. It's not good, not good at all. Studies prove that and one professional is trying to do something about that. He is Michael Schutz, Associate Professor, School of the Arts at McMaster University in Hamilton. Professor Schutz thank you for taking a moment to do a Candid Conversation.

Professor Schutz: Thank you.

Cliff T.: Shout out to my Niece Miranda who is a Neo Natal Nurse at Mac, she has to hear these beeps during the shift I can imagine how annoying it must be. Professor Schutz is that what hospital staff in hospitals across the board tell you?

Professor Schutz: According to pretty much any medical staff I’ve spoke with, the noises are uniformly awful. One retired nurse even referred to her hospital as “beeping hellscape” which I think unfortunately sums it up nicely!

Cliff T.: I mentioned in my introduction that this has become and issue and studies show that those beeps heard in the hospital are not just annoying but, they are bad for health, would you elaborate on that, what effect do these beeps and tones have on people?

Professor Schutz: The most obvious health harm is that the existing alarms are so bad they are killing us. Literally. An FDA survey found problems with alarms implicated in the deaths of 566 patients. But even beyond their worst outcomes, there are major health implications for their annoyance. Disrupted sleep extends hospital stays, which means fewer beds for folks needing medical care, and increased costs for an already over-taxed medical system.

Cliff T.: So obviously Professor Schutz this needs to be fixed. But, the offending tones are on equipment already in place. Would this mean some sort of modification or would the equipment have to be swapped out?

Professor Schutz: That’s a really important question. My focus is primarily on designing new sounds that would work better, so I can’t really comment on the exact procedure in place for updating existing equipment. But I can tell you that new sounds are fairly easy to make, and can be designed in a way to be “backwards compatible” – meaning that if doctors and nurses know existing alarms, they’d recognize the new ones immediately. I also know that hospital medical equipment is continually updated. So whether these new sounds are simply part of the next round of medical equipment update, or whether we install them into existing systems, getting them changed isn’t the hard part. The difficultly is just getting people to realize that could be so much better. So often I heard people remark “I’ve always hated those beeps, but never knew they could be different.” Trust me – they can be VERY different!!

Cliff T.: I heard your interview on Quirks and Quarks and I also heard the examples of tones you provided the one we now have and the one that would be better. I have to say Professor, that second more softer tone did catch my attention. Is that the case with most people who hear the comparison tones? And is there a difference in reaction from patients vs staff?

Professor Schutz: We find that the more musical sounds are just as good at getting attention when needed (and in some cases even better). They’re just a heck of a lot less annoying. Since we’re still tinkering with designs we’re mostly testing university students and online experiments. I would love to assess medical professionals in the future. We’re just holding off on that at the moment in part as our health care workers are so overworked, so I don’t want to both them with testing until we’ve worked out the basic science of the sounds. But as far as I can tell they would lead to similar results.

Cliff T.: I am a bit curious, what prompted studies into the sounds medical machines make?

Professor Schutz: It’s a long story! I’m a performing musician, and also a music cognition researcher. I got very interested in the psychology of music after discovering a surprising musical illusion (www.maplelab.net/illusion). Musical implications aside, it shows that our brain processes musical sounds in ways that are different than the kinds of sounds often used for research. What I call the “tone beep.” I find those tone beeps awfully annoying, and was disappointed to find the terrible beeps common in scientific studies of hearing.

So my team started synthesizing more complex sounds for our experiments on basic listening questions. And then one day a medical doctor got wind of this work, and introduced me to the problem of terrible beeps in the ICU. It was then I realized that some of the basic research questions my team specializes in have this really important application for public health. And I thought that was neat. We can actually use music perception to save lives. How cool is that?!

Cliff T.: What is the most common reaction you are getting when you speak on this topic with people who have never heard about this issue before?

Professor Schutz: I find people uniformly hate current alarm sounds. Most are shocked they could be changed, and often very excited. I’ve heard so many heart breaking stories about time people spent in hospitals being annoyed by them. Some people then get angry that they were subjected to such terrible sounds when they didn’t have to be this bad!

Cliff T.: I would assume that we are still in the early days with regard to deploying changes to medical devices audio outputs. What kind of progress have you seen on this front?

Professor Schutz: So far the reception has been wonderful! I’ve had the opportunity to connect with researchers all over the world interested in improving medical alarms. I’m usually the biggest “sound geek” in the room for these conversations, so they’re quite keen to hear about new ideas. Getting the opportunity to do things like the TEDx talk and the Quirks and Quarks segment have been really rewarding and helpful. I can reach more people with a 10 minute radio segment than a 10 page academic article! Recently someone from the IEC (International Electrotechnic Commission) reached out after hearing the Quirks and Quarks interview you heard, and I’m excited to possibly contribute some new ideas to future designs.

Cliff T.: I have to ask Professor Schutz. I know that this is serious stuff, but is there some sort of fun aspect to this. What is the cool factor in changing a medical machines tone or beep?

Professor Schutz: As a life-long audio geek, part of me is just tickled that I’ve found an “excuse” for playing around with sound. As a musician, I spend a lot of time thinking about sound, crafting musical sounds, and event exploring sounds in the world. As a researcher I focus on doing experiments with sound. And as it turns out, this all has an actual public health benefit. As my mother said after watching the TEDx talk, “wow, now I can tell my friends you are the kind of doctor who helps people”. Thanks mom 😀

Cliff T.: Professor Schutz thank you very much for taking time to reach out and do a Candid Conversation. It just goes to show that science can be very interesting, important and in a lot of ways fun.

Professor Schutz: My pleasure – always happy to help spread good ideas about better sound!

Professor Schutz is an Associate Professor, School of the Arts at McMaster University in Hamilton Ontario Canada. To get an idea of what Professor Schutz does and is doing visit his McMaster Experts page by clicking this LINK 

Editors Note: Just to be clear on one thing re: hospital sounds. Professor Schutz stated, I'm not claiming the beeps are doing more harm than good. I would not recommend just silencing them all for example! My point is just that they could be a whole heck of a lot better. They serve a very useful and important role, which is why it's so acoustically tragic that they are built on
really terrible "beeps"

Candid Comment-Video Edition - Mothers day

I learned a lot from 4 women who were in my life.  They are all passed away now but the legacy of their teaching has never left me.  In this video I pay homage not only to my mother, but to may Aunties, Marlene and Helen.  Happy Mothers day. 

Below are the video and a photo om my mom.

My Mother Shirley.  This photo dates back to the late 2000s in Montreal QC. Canada.  Probably around 2011.

RIP Mom, your missed and still loved.

Footnote: The aunt I speaking about with regard to creativity is my Aunt Helen.

Candid Comment - The Writers Challenge

This one is for the creators of content, bloggers, websites magazines etc.  Writing can be fun.  It can be challenging.  And sometimes it can get boring.  Then there are times when you get to place where the thoughts ideas or content just don't jive.  I have to admit that coming up with interviews and putting up content can be daunting especially when I am trying to figure out what would work on the platform I am writing for.  I have 3, this blog and Mixed Nuts, Medium and Substack.  Each have different audiences so creating content that will engage and bring back repeat readers is a bit of a challenge.  

One challenge is writers block, having an idea and not being able to express it or finding that there is nothing that grabs the writer and says write about this.  That does happen from time to time.  The other thing that can be a bit of a challenge or a lot is wanting to write about really sensitive topics.  It's one thing to have a newspaper or media organization to support you when you dive into a hot topic it's another when you are the one man band so to speak.  There are topics I really want to jump into and discuss with people and comment on  here on this blog.  I don't because writing on those hot topics can unleash some real serious blowback. So that means not touching the so called hot button or ensuring that there is coverage on all the angles possible to avoid a fight or that I can defend the point.  

I know some out there are going to read this and say dude your a chicken for not handling the hot topics.  To a degree that is true, no one likes to be bashed for what they say and yes that includes me.  That said it goes with the territory, not everyone is going to like what I put up on a blog or site or on another platform.  I am pretty sure I can handle that.  What would be far more difficult to handle is a lawsuit or criminal charge. To avoid that I have to use common sense in posting content.  That means writing content that is balanced and accurate.  These are keys to success, and I think I  have that.  knowing the subject matter means research which is what I do.  So I would like to offer up tips for those who are currently writing and those who want to do so.

1. Research research research:  For the love of God research the topic before you write about it.  I have seen a few things that are just not accurate in my time.  And it does drive me nuts.  So if you do not know the topic research so you have enough understanding before you write.

2. Bias does play a role: Bias is a thing, I write from a point of knowledge but I also have a bias and yes it does come through at times.  Just make sure to do your best to remove it as often as possible, your writing should be neutral and fair.

3. Obey the law: Copywrite, criminal law, civil law.  All apply to bloggers.  Going forward and describing a how to do a crime, copying another persons work and posting it as your own or not citing sources is a bad idea and saying someone did something they did not, ooof bad plan.  You can get sued, you can get arrested and you can be ordered to take content down.  Simply put check before you post. If you can't answer no to whether the post can lead to an offence under the law, violation of copywrite or is factually incorrect then do not post it.

4. Write for everyone: You should write at a level where most people can get your point.  The ideal level is grade 8 grammar and spelling.  Now I have to admit not my strong point.  Funny story though English was one of my better subjects.  Still I have to say that style, sentence structure, grammar and spelling can be a challenge.  That said I suggest proofing your work before posting it.

5. Writers block and no content ideas: This is a thing.  There are times you will get writers block, you will get bored writing and yes you will not find a story that fits you or the platform you are creating content for.  Step back and do something else then com back to the task.  There are times you may just have to plough through and post something especially if you are being paid for your work.  Most times though you can take a break and reboot.

The writers challenge is actually a bunch of them rolled into one but, if you want to write and even get paid for your writing you have to face it.  

Until the next post be well and stay safe.

Candid Video / Candid Comment - A New Feature

 

I am excited to announce a new feature I am rolling out.  Candid Videos.  They will come in the form of comments, interviews and soon Zoom events.  The point here is to expand.  Bringing in newer and more interactive content.  I really enjoy doing this blog it's been around since 2009 and I have seen a steady stream of visitors view the content added to it.  Even when I do not add content I still see people coming by and reading the blog.  I am very honored by the fact that people read what I post.  And some return often to see the latest update.  So to say thanks and also hopefully reach other people I am adding this new feature into the blog.

You will see a note like this one then the video just so you know what is going on.

Now here is the first video I did.

How To Be Funny At Work And Not Get Fired - A Candid Comment

I love a good pun and some dad jokes are pretty funny.  One of my buddies at work often tosses out the dad jokes and oh the puns.  Example what do you call 3 cows starring at each other?  A steak out.  LOL ya that is funny.  That said there are some things one needs to remember when it comes to being a yuckster at work.  It's all fun and games until the boss calls you into the office after you've cracked wise and then hands you a pink slip.  Now one may think hey that is not really fair.  Oh it's fair some things are really not good to do or say in a workplace.  So before you quip from the hip or prank a fellow coworker take a tip or two here and save yourself a trip to HR.

Comics try to gauge the room as they toss out the funny.  Some jokes are really a hit and others are umm just not going to pull a chuckle.  Back when I was studying Radio Broadcasting at Mohawk College here in Hamilton I saw a show where a comedian was joking about being a parent one joke about poopy diapers drew crickets.  He had misread the room.  That is the first thing knowing if you have an audience that will find you funny.  Trying to be witty can land you in serious hot water.  The comic did recover and joked about the joke, that is another tip.  Know when you have bombed and acknowledge that. We all foul up a joke and admitting that can actually be quite funny.  

Another tip is getting permission from others in the room.  Getting a buy in from people is kind of important so how do yo do that.  It's really by building some rapport with the others in the room and getting them to see you as an ally once you have them on your side you can let your humor out.  One way I get a room on my side and gain permission is to start a small chat before a meeting with others in the room or to pitch a couple of ideas n the meeting.  Even if no one bites if I have a sense they respect the attempt I can inject some humor into the mix.  Like hmm I guess I am hitting some fly balls to center field here, or oh well back to my tickle trunk I go so I can see if I have a few more ideas I can share.  The point here is to crack em up without coming off as a jerk or worse.  

As for pranks at work.  I really suggest avoiding those altogether.  There is something to be said for pulling a fast one on a colleague or the boss but, that is not really a good idea.  Bubble wrapping the bosses chair, putting salt in the sugar jar or changing the language on the computer of your colleague may sound funny but, it really is annoying and not that funny.  Most pranks are intended to make people look stupid.  In  a work place pranks are not going to end well. So I would suggest avoiding them altogether.

So to close here are the pro tips to use when trying out your humor at work.

Read the room: Make sure that you have attention of the people in the room.

Get Permission: Ensure that your permitted to be a contributor to the meeting and then make sure that the situation is not so serious or you have the space to be able to tell a joke to make others feel more at ease.

If you fail that's OK own it: Comics bomb you will too so own it and move on.

How To is a podcast from Slate. How To Crack Up Your Co-workers (Without Being Offensive) is an episode that speaks to being funny at work.  Check it out and let me know what you think about being funny at work.

See ya in the next article.

Candid Comment - Will Smith - WOW What The???

Will Smith at the Oscars with his wife Jada.  Chris Rock on stage cracks a joke directed at Jayda. Smith then saunters up to the stage and slaps Rock in the face returns to his seat then proceeds to make it clear he is not happy, telling Rock to keep his wife's name out of his Fing mouth. Wow what the? I...I...I am just like wow as I watched this. And yet at the same time I do understand the reaction. I would not be very happy if some dude decided to use my wife's physical features as material for a joke.

That said one does have to take a pause before reacting.  Hitting someone is a crime and in California it's pretty seriously taken. The penal code has in it some pretty stiff fines and jail times for battery even if there is no injury. The LAPD did make it clear that Will Smith committed a crime and that they could have arrested him for it. Rock decided not to file a report.

Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences intends to investigate the incident and will probably propose some form of punishment, fine, suspension, but will not take the Oscar Will won from him.  

Chris Rock is a comedian, right?  Right, and some of the jokes he makes are off color and cross lines.  The crack about Jada being the next G.I. Jane was probably not a smart one to make but, slapping him over it was Will Smith's error.  Looking at it from the side of Will Smith one does have to step back a bit and take a look at from the perspective of a husband hearing his wife getting dissed by a comic about a disease she has been dealing with.  Jada has Alopecia which causes hair loss.  It's not a laughing matter especially for women so a joke like the one Chris Rock told is pretty offensive.  Will Smith reacted as any husband would to defend his wife, the problem was the kind of reaction, hitting Chris Rock.   

A wife wants her husband to defend her.  I am sure that Jada wanted Will to do something about the joke but, I would also hope she would have said something like "honeykins I love that you wanted to defend me but, boo boo hitting Chris was not ok."  Cussing him sure hitting no.

Do I think Rock crossed a line, given the information out there probably yes.  Was Smith entitled to be upset?  Yes I do think he was allowed to take issue with the joke.  He had every right to stand up for his wife and say that is not acceptable.  He did not have the right to strike Chris Rock.  I can relate to what it is like to be the butt of a joke.  Years ago while in college a person referred to me in a joking manner as a nobody who would always just be a nobody.  That did not go over very well with me and I verbally let the man have it.  I lost it, and nearly put my hands on him.  Thankfully I did not because I knew I could hurt him, get hurt by him and face charges and get kicked out of school.  I reported the incident and the guy was dealt with through the correct channels.  There are channels that Will Smith could have and should have used to handle this.  Instead he chose to go it alone and now it's costing him in so many ways.  

Candid Conversations - Whitney Schwartz Whitney And Howard Design Chief Describes How Gratitude Is A Good Attitude In Business

Being grateful for what you have is something we are all taught as children. As adults we kind of tend to forget that at times. But, there are instances where people incorporate being grateful in their lives. Then some even take the step further, incorporating gratitude personally and in business as well. Take for example Whitney Howard Designs. The company founded in 1999 actually baked into it’s culture gratitude. I have never seen that until now. But, I think this is noteworthy and that is why I decided to reach out to Whitney Schwartz Chief Designer to learn more about this idea, I am grateful she is doing a Candid Conversation, and with that welcome to Candid Conversations.

Cliff T.: Miss Schwartz, this is an interesting idea, gratitude as a part of business culture. I have not heard of this idea before so can you explain how this idea works in Whitney Howard Designs?

W. Schwartz: Thanks for asking, it feels great that you noticed us for our sense of Gratitude. It is literally an automatic response for me when we receive testimonials; I just want to send them a gift of Gratitude for taking the time to share their thoughts with us about how our product touched their life. Wanting to gift gratitude is in my make up, it takes no pre thought it’s just who I am, it’s who Howard is. Expressing a grateful heart is one of the very best feelings I ever get when I get to say thank you, or I am grateful. At a recent gift show, at the last hour Howard wanted to play a game so he offered passers by the opportunity to have something free in the booth but there was a caveat, after they picked something for someone special, they had to pick out something for themselves. Howard took video of some of the people and asked what they picked and why. The videos made me cry so hard, my heart was expanding with love and appreciation. I love this story but I tell it to you because not for one second did I care that Howard was giving away product, all I wanted to do was watch the videos and the stories of why people picked what they did, it was a moment of ‘Life in Action’ combined with gifting tangible reminders…beautiful.

Cliff T.: How did this idea come about in the company?

W. Schwartz: Since we began selling Blessing Rings, we would offer passersby the opportunity to take a Blessing Ring out of the complementary bowl. People would stop; explore the bowl for a long time. Often this is how we got customers; it gave a passing by retailer the chance to experience all the heartfelt, inspiring and motivating words and quotes on the tokens. Something that always happens at shows, people walk up to Howard and I and share with us that they were offered to take a token out of the bowl, be it a year ago or years and years ago. People show us their treasured Blessing Rings on their keys or hung on a necklace chain, and we get to hear how something so small means so much to them. Our hearts could not be fuller. It was those interactions that led Howard and I into thinking; how can we ripple gratitude in the way we ripple the energy of the Blessing Rings?’ When we gift the Gratitude Blessing Rings we have a style in which we do it. First we take their hand and ask if we can place a Gratitude Blessing Ring in their hand, we hold their hands and say our Gratitude’s. If they are a new customer we say how with all the things to see at a show, Thank you for shopping with us and trusting our brand will work in their shop. If it’s a reorder customer that Gratitude is different, reorders are a tremendous win for each of us, we are both succeeding at selling goods that touch hearts. If it’s not a wholesale account, then that expression of gratitude is typically face to face at a show and the exchange of love is measurable by everyone witnessing. After we gift the Gratitude Blessing Ring we pass on another to that person and request that they pay their Gratitude forward. It is a joyous and tremendous feeling.

Cliff T.: Has the pandemic affected your business; and how has being grateful, if did helped you and the company?

W. Schwartz: 100% it affected our business. All our museum and destination business slowed tremendously, and many retailers were closed. We chose to make giving back our focus. In 2020, we donated 5000 Gratitude Blessing Rings to nurses in 6 different hospitals during Nurses Week. We could not be more grateful for the nurses who showed up to work during the pandemic. In the beginning of 2021 we gifted Gratitude Stones to the staff at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, it was our way of saying Thank You for coming to work and keeping the museum clean and cared for during the Pandemic. In Spring of 2021 we gifted 500 Gratitude Stones to the staff at West Hills Hospital to say thank you for caring for our community. Business slowed greatly in 2020-2021, but our hearts grew in size.

Cliff T.: When you explain this idea and how it is used in WHD to others what kind of reaction do you get?

W. Schwartz: We get testimonials every day. We send out goody bags to all our customers, retail and wholesale. Each goody bag is filled with stickers. A Gratitude Blessing Ring to pay forward, and other relevant goodies. People react in authentic ways, tears of gratitude, lots of hugs, handwritten notes, and emailed thankyous explaining how they payed forward the Gratitude. People react with love and surprise, they are often shocked we are saying thank you, and when we add the second Blessing Ring for them to pay forward…it is the most beautiful of moments.

Cliff T.: Miss Schwartz, what do you think the biggest benefit is for you, your staff and customers that being grateful offers?

W. Schwartz: I can go on for pages on the benefits of being grateful. I am also a teacher of ancient wisdom and meditation, from Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, all the faiths and beliefs…Gratitude is the one word that comes up in all of them as the foundation to a happy and healthy life. The benefits are totally physical, we see people tear up the minute they realize we are grateful for them. The heart is touched, the soul, the mind; Gratitude benefits the entirety of who we are.

Cliff T.: Of course we can’t just discuss being grateful. You have a business that is out there providing some unique products. What exactly does Whitney Howard Designs offer the consumer?

W. Schwartz: We offer the consumer a gift for every occasion and celebration in life. Most of us buy gifts for the typical holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, graduation, new baby, new home…but in between those are the times in life when gifting comes into play. We have gifts for those moments when you want to say, ‘I love you’, I am proud of you’, ‘you can do it, I believe in you, ‘you are going to be ok’, ‘way to go’, ‘you will get through this’, gifts for recovery, healing and new beginnings. Our collection encompasses life’s journey and placed into tangible, wearable reminders.

Cliff T.: The company has been around since 1999, congrats on that success. How do you keep it fresh what goes into keeping customer interest in your products?

W. Schwartz: We do not and have never followed trends. We always dive deep into our hearts, we say to ourselves ‘what do people need, long for, what are people inspired by?’ To design we ask questions like, ‘What is a healing way of saying something worth wearing’, what are people we know going through and what words and quotes relate to that particular journey, and we go from there. I have a friend who has a Heart of Gold; years ago I wanted to gift her something and I designed and created the Heart of Gold cuff and now the Hearts of Gold collection has many hearts to choose from. I thought to myself, who do I know with a Big Heart, Brave Heart, and so I made a ring and heart charm with ‘big heart’ and ‘brave heart’ along with other hearts of gold. Customers stay interested because as we continue on life’s journey, words, quotes and symbols change or gain meaning. We are a meaningful company, so as long as gifting meaningful gifts is on your list interest should always be present.

Cliff T.: As the Chief Designer you have a lot of ideas coming your way, what is the most interesting part of the job selecting or taking that design and creating the product?

W. Schwartz: The most interesting part is how impactful what we create has on people. The most challenging part of the job continues to be, trusting in myself. What I may sketch or find inspiring may not be to another. Trusting in myself that what I think is worth wearing is that to others. Years ago, I created The Peace Leaf, it is a leaf that one gifts to someone seeking Peace, an olive branch to repair relationships, turning of a new leaf, peace of mind, peace for the world. It was not a huge hit until recently we have had many requests for it. I trusted myself in creating this piece, which means so much to me though it is not popular in our collection, stay true to yourself, that challenge is interesting to me.

Cliff T.: Miss Schwartz if you could impart some wisdom to company leaders what would you suggest they do to make things better for the company, the staff and people they serve?

W. Schwartz: I would suggest they learn to meditate. There are so many myths around the idea of meditation but when we mediate, the best version of our self appears when we are in our lives. The practice of meditation gives us time to ourselves, when we are aware, and we cultivate awareness, our life after mediation, in work, in personal, it all changes, it all illuminates and your best version is at play.

Cliff T.: Excellent, I want to thank you again for giving us a peek into your world. I am sure more great things are coming along the way from WHD and I appreciate your taking time to share your story.

W. Schwartz: Thank you Cliff, honestly this time, your thoughtful, inquiring questions, is a big compliment to me and to Whitney Howard Designs. The fact that you think we are worthwhile to talk about, truly the biggest and best compliment.

I am grateful you took the time to get to know us.

Whitney

Whitney Schwartz is the Chief Designer for Whitney and Howard Designs. To take a look at what they offer visit https://www.whitneyhowarddesigns.com/. There is a really good article about their gratitude model which can be found at Expert Click.

Miss Schwartz wrote to us from the corporate site in Los Angeles CA.