From vision to reality: how human factors can inform the design of cardiac diagnostic services in community settings (10 May 2024)

Summary

This study, published in Human Factors in Healthcare, applied a human factors approach through the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) model to inform the design of community cardiac diagnostic services, focusing on workforce design and the potential role of cardiac physiologists. The study setting was a cardiology department at a community hospital. Data were collected through observations, interviews and focus groups. Data were analysed using SEIPS and Thematic Analysis.

The analysis revealed three overarching design considerations: (1) Promoting professional growth and autonomy for the cardiac workforce in the community. (2) Focusing on the needs of patients in the community, including accessibility and communication. (3) Facilitating communication across organisational boundaries, particularly between CDCs and General Practitioners (GPs).

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