Alerts & Escalations

February 2026 · 4 min

Overview

The Alerts & Escalations module provides a centralized system for critical notifications, escalation rules, and on-call management. It ensures that time-sensitive events (critical lab results, patient deterioration, equipment failures, medication errors) are immediately routed to the right person through the right channel. Access at /dashboard/alerts.

Alert Types

The system generates alerts across clinical and operational domains:

Clinical Alerts:

• Critical lab values (panic values outside reference range)
• Patient vital sign deterioration (NEWS/MEWS score triggers)
• Overdue medication administration (eMAR integration)
• Drug allergy warnings
• Blood transfusion reaction alerts
• Code Blue/Rapid Response triggers

Operational Alerts:

• Equipment breakdown or malfunction
• Low stock warnings (pharmacy, blood bank, supplies)
• Failed backup or system errors
• License/certificate expiry reminders
• Pending approvals exceeding SLA
• Fire/safety system triggers

Escalation Rules

Configurable escalation chains ensure alerts are never missed:

1. Level 1 (Immediate) -- Alert sent to the primary responsible person (e.g., attending nurse, on-call doctor) via in-app notification + push notification
2. Level 2 (5-min escalation) -- If not acknowledged within 5 minutes, escalates to the charge nurse or department head via SMS
3. Level 3 (15-min escalation) -- If still unacknowledged, escalates to the on-call consultant and nursing supervisor via phone call
4. Level 4 (30-min escalation) -- Medical director and hospital administrator notified

Escalation timers and recipients are configurable per alert type and department.

On-Call Management

The on-call system manages after-hours alert routing:

• On-Call Schedules -- Define weekly on-call rotations by department and role
• Auto-Routing -- After-hours alerts automatically route to the on-call person instead of the regular department contact
• Handover -- On-call handover notes when rotating between shifts
• Coverage -- Temporary coverage assignments for vacations or sick leave
• Response Tracking -- Log on-call response times and outcomes

Alert Dashboard

The alerts dashboard provides:

• Active Alerts -- Real-time feed of all unacknowledged alerts with severity color coding
• Alert History -- Complete log of all alerts with acknowledgment times and actions taken
• Response Metrics -- Average time to acknowledge and resolve by alert type, department, and person
• Missed Alerts -- Report of alerts that required escalation beyond Level 1
• Configuration -- Manage alert rules, escalation chains, and notification channels

Notes

Related topics