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Showing results for tags 'Ergonomics'.
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Content ArticleThis guidance aims to support the safe roll-out of COVID-19 vaccination programmes. Vaccination programmes include a number of work systems, such as manufacturing, filling and packaging for distribution, testing and approval, cold chain delivery, booking systems for vaccination appointments, local administration of the vaccine, and patient follow-up. The challenges and requirements for operating such complex programmes at speed may vary both within a country as well as between countries, but the guidelines offer 10 principles to support systems thinking for vaccination programmes that apply across settings. These human factors and ergonomic principles relate to the identification and description of work systems (Identify), the improvement of work systems and processes (Improve), and the continuous learning from experience to achieve sustainable change (Adapt).
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Content ArticleThis Joint Committee International handbook offers checklists for healthcare staff to keep themselves safe from chemical and physical hazards, infectious agents, workplace violence, ergonomic problems, work-related stress, and more. The book also includes managers’ checklists to ensure that the right administrative controls and processes are in place to safeguard health care staff. All checklists are based on authoritative, evidence-based sources that have proven valuable. All the checklists are straightforward and easy to use and understand and cover the key areas of risk for health care workers. Each section of checklists is introduced by compelling statistics that show how dangerous working in the healthcare environment can be, without proper precautions. The checklists provide the procedures or must-do activities to ensure that health care workers are as safe as can be.
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Content ArticleMeasuring a patient’s height is a routine part of a healthcare encounter. But once completed, how often is this information used? For most of us who fall within 95% of the mean population height, this metric is rarely discussed, but what happens when it is overlooked? And what about those on the outer tails of the bell curve of population distribution? Almost 1 million (909,222) adults in the United States are at least 6'4", more than the entire population of South Dakota (884,659). Conversely, an estimated 30,000 Americans have a form of dwarfism, typically defined as an adult height no taller than 4'10". However, despite this prevalence, the healthcare system struggles to provide consistent, adequate care for patients with extreme heights.
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Content ArticleThe Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has published guidance on the importance of applying human factors to medical devices, so they are designed and optimised to minimise patient and user safety risks.
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Content ArticleHuman Factors and ergonomics (HFE) expertise continues to have difficulty integrating its experts into healthcare. This persistent disconnect is compounded by unique aspects of healthcare as an institution, industry and work system. Clinically embedded HFE practitioners, a new HFE sub-specialty, are a conduit for addressing substantive mismatches between the two domains. Greater HFE penetration will require a fundamental change in stance for both domains, however, the burden will lie with HFE to be the more adaptive of the two. Learning more about the in situ work of this sub-specialty will provide insights for more nuanced approaches to bridging domain specific mismatches and obstacles.
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Content ArticleHow many times have you tried to plug a USB in the wrong way round? Since both sides are usually similar on the outside, chances are that you have tried to force a USB in upside down at least once. The consequences of this mistake are usually negligible, but in healthcare, poor design can have serious repercussions. We all know how to plug in a flash drive, so why do we still slip up? Usually, it’s because we are concentrating on something more important. Imagine the same happening in a busy emergency unit where healthcare providers are carrying out life-saving procedures. They’re short on time and working under pressure. One of the paramedics is trying to resuscitate a patient who just went into cardiac arrest — he charges the defibrillator, presses “on”, but instead of shocking, the device switches off, causing the team to waste precious time. What went wrong? And how could the same issue be prevented in the future? Neil Ballinger, head of EMEA at manufacturing parts supplier EU Automation, explains the role of human factors engineering in optimising medical devices.
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Content ArticleThe Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) and SEIPS 2.0 models provide a framework for integrating Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE) in health care quality and patient safety improvement. As care becomes increasingly distributed over space and time, the “process” component of the SEIPS model needs to evolve and represent this additional complexity. In this paper, Carayon et al. review different ways that the process component of the SEIPS models have been described and applied. Carayon et al. propose the SEIPS 3.0 model, which expands the process component, using the concept of the patient journey to describe the spatio-temporal distribution of patients’ interactions with multiple care settings over time. This new SEIPS 3.0 sociotechnical systems approach to the patient journey and patient safety poses several conceptual and methodological challenges to HFE researchers and professionals, including the need to consider multiple perspectives, issues with genuine participation, and HFE work at the boundaries.
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Content ArticleA large proportion of the patient injuries or deaths attributable to medical device misuse can be eliminated and/or mitigated by adopting an effective human factors and ergonomics (HFE) approach. The implementation of a usability engineering process is now mandatory for medical devices manufacturers seeking to obtain the European Union’s CE Mark. In this article, Pelayo, Marcilly and Bellandi describe the European Union’s HFE regulation and highlight the challenges faced by (i) manufacturers implementing this regulation and (ii) regulatory bodies charged with assessing the compliance of usability files. In Europe, 95% of MD manufacturers are small- and medium-sized enterprises; compliance with the CE Mark regulations is a real challenge to their competitiveness. Levels of knowledge about HFE vary greatly from one regulatory organisation to another, which can sometimes lead to very different expectations. The authors also present the specific use-related risk management approach required by the HFE regulation. Lastly, they focus on the limitations of the HFE regulation for MDs and on future HFE challenges in further reducing and/or eliminating MD use errors. The main challenge is the need to go beyond technology design and the premarket assessment and to look at the postproduction stage; the coupling between an MD and a sociotechnical system can lead to consequences that were not predicted during the design process. This implies the need to consider the emerging properties of technologies in use by involving all the stakeholders.
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Content Article
Ergonomics to support the COVID-19 response
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Process improvement
Without embedded experience within healthcare organisations the application, evidence and business case for human factors in NHS decision-making will not be developed. The concerns about availability of ventilators offered the first opportunity to support the NHS. A rapid response project was initiated to support the design, development, usability testing and operation of new ventilators. This article from the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics & Human Factors looks at their response to the rapidly manufactured ventilators and their five-step approach response that was used to influence both strategy and practice to address concerns about changing safety standards and the detailed design procedure with ventilator manufacturers. It also discusses organisational learning and achieving sustainable change and the next steps in patient safety. -
Content ArticleThe Patient Safety Database (PSD), previously called Anesthesia Safety Network, is committed in the delivery of better perioperative care. Its primary goal is to make visible the lack of reliability of healthcare and the absolute necessity to build a new system for improving patient safety. They have begun by developing an open and anonymous incident reporting system focused on non-technical skills. Each quarter they summarise in their newsletter cases reported on the platform. Read the latest newsletter.
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Content ArticleThe COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated preexisting weaknesses in the global supply chain. Regional assessments by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), European Medicines Agency (EMA), and independent consultants, have demonstrated various contributory causal factors requiring changes in policy, relationships, and incentives within the dynamic and developing networks. Human factors and ergonomics (HFE) is an approach that encourages sociotechnical systems thinking to optimize the performance of systems that involve human activity. The global supply chain can be considered such a system. However, it has neither been systematically examined from this perspective.
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Community PostTwo vaccines for COVID-19 have now been approved. Health organisations are doing their upmost to workout how best to store and administer the vaccines safely and avoiding errors. The Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors (CIEHF) are preparing strategic guidance for health authorities and operational guidance for people setting up vaccine programmes applicable internationally. In a recent LinkedIn post, Chief Executive Noorzaman Rashid asks: "What are the Human Factors and Ergonomic issues that should be considered?" And asks you to share your ideas: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/noorzamanrashid_the-economist-on-twitter-activity-6750290388721926144-h8XV/ #ciehf #covid #patientsafety
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Content Article
Osmond Ergonomics: Posture guides
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Patient safety in health and care
Agile working is on the increase and here to stay. This brings its own challenges for people working in a variety of locations and environments. Technology is pervasive and our technical interactions are migrating rapidly to mobile and hand-held devices, keeping us connected and able to work almost anywhere. This inevitably affects our posture and can lead to musculoskeletal issues in the longer term. Adopting the correct posture when sitting, standing and operating mobile devices aids the prevention and management of existing musculoskeletal problems. Regular stretching exercises are even more beneficial. Osmond Ergonomics provides support tools such as these free guides. -
Content Article
Error traps: Let’s raise awareness
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Error traps
An error trap is a situation that could lead into avoidable harm if not mitigated. It is a situation where the circumstances in combination with human cognitive limitations make errors more likely.[1] Error traps can be found throughout health and social care in medicines, equipment and devices, in documentation, and in many other areas we see every day while going about our daily jobs in health and social care. We want to raise awareness of these error traps on the hub but more importantly we want to hear your suggestions of what needs to be done to prevent them and examples of where action has been take and worked. View our error trap gallery and share your examples.- Posted
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Event
Using human factors to support clinical decision making
Sam posted an event in Community Calendar
untilCoping with complexity: how a human factors systems approach can support competency development for pharmacists. Support in clinical decision making is recognised as an educational development need for pharmacists. The health policy landscape puts the pharmacist in a central role for clinical management of long-term complex morbidities, making clinical decision making and taking responsibility for patient outcomes increasingly important. This is compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, where healthcare environments have become more complex and challenging to navigate. In this environment, foundation pharmacists were unable to sit the GPhC registration assessment during the summer of 2020 but provisionally the registration assessment is due to take place online during the first quarter of 2021. In response to this, a suite of resources has been developed with collaboration between Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors (CIEHF) and Health Education England (HEE). These resources are aimed in particular at early career pharmacists and their supervisors, especially those in foundation pharmacist positions managing the transition from education to the workplace environment. This session will act as the launch event for these resources and can support early career pharmacists and supervisors to navigate the CIEHF learning resources developed so far. Register -
Event
Ergonomics and Human Factors 2021
Patient Safety Learning posted an event in Community Calendar
untilWhether you’re an industry or business leader, a human factors practitioner, researcher or academic, the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics & Human Factors showcase the very best that the discipline has to offer at one of the largest gatherings of ergonomists and human factors professionals in the world. Further information and registration -
Content ArticlePresentation from Paul Bowie, Programme Director, NHS Education for Scotland on human factors and ergonomics.
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Content Article
CIEHF: COVID-19 human factor response
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Guidance
The pandemic has brought human factors issues to prominence. The Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors (CIEHF) and its members are responding rapidly to current challenges by providing expert guidance and help wherever it’s needed most. This site gives details and links to new guidance documents developed and published by us and matches human factors expertise to those needing assistance. -
Content ArticleHealthcare organisations are committed to the safety of the patients receiving care, treatment, and services. Healthcare organisations are also committed to the safety of those who serve those patients – healthcare workers, whether they be nurses, physicians, medical technicians, pharmacists, lab workers, housekeeping staff. This new book from The Joint Commission pulls together a collection of checklists to keep those healthcare workers safe from chemical and physical hazards, infectious agents, workplace violence, ergonomic problems, work-related stress, and more. The checklists are built upon authoritative guidelines from OSHA, NIOSH, CDC, and others and are intended to simplify healthcare worker safety. Most of the checklists are intended for use by health care workers themselves, depending upon their clinical or other responsibilities. Some of the checklists are intended for management to ensure that policies, procedures, and resources are in place to ensure health care worker safety in all areas of the organization. All of the checklists are straightforward and easy to use and understand and cover the key areas of risk for healthcare workers. Each section of checklists is introduced by compelling statistics that show how dangerous working in the health care environment can be, without proper precautions. The checklists provide the procedures or must-do activities to ensure that health care workers are as safe as can be. Sample pages
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EventuntilThis unique 1-day distance-learning course from Medled is delivered via Zoom by our expert trainers in a format designed to maximise learning retention and application of knowledge. You'll learn to: Understand the concept of systems thinking and models of safety – looking beyond the individual and the flawed concept of ‘Human Error’. Gain an introduction to human capabilities & limitations & how those influence quality and safety of care – how humans can be heroes and hazards. Be able to unpick the nature of human fallibility and why practice does not always make perfect. Have the knowledge to proactively contribute to the safety culture in your organisation. Be able to recognise error-provoking conditions and influence your systems of work. Understand the relationship between stress and performance/risk of error. Take away a tangible model for understanding the relationship between our physiological needs and performance – do we set ourselves up to fail? Understand strategies to optimise high-performance teamworking with ad hoc teams. Evidence-based, utilising cutting edge safety & performance science this course is suitable for all Healthcare Professionals, both clinical and non-clinical; it is applicable to all departments and multi-disciplinary teams. Accredited by Chartered Institute of Ergonomics & Human Factors, you'll take part in interactive actitvities and leave with practical tools to take away. Registration
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Content ArticleHuman factors is a critical component of future aviation success in both military and civil aviation systems, especially where it concerns safety. This white paper from the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors contains the visions of 15 ‘thought leaders’, showing how they believe aviation evolution will unfold between now and 2050, and the critical role of human factors in ensuring system performance and safety. The thoughts in this paper can be applied to human factors in health and social care.
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Content ArticleTo get the safest—and not just the cheapest—devices, the NHS needs to start taking ergonomics seriously, experts say. In March 2020, the UK government commissioned non-medical manufacturers, including Dyson and Renault, to produce ventilators for the excess number of patients expected to have respiratory failure as a result of COVID-19. Because the machines would be used by non-specialist clinicians during the pandemic, NHS England commissioned guidance1 on ergonomic (also known as human factors) design of the ventilators, aimed at achieving “optimum human safety and performance.” However, the commissioning of the ventilator guidance remains an exception rather than the rule. There are, however, signs that the NHS is starting to take human factors seriously—and COVID-19 is a driver.
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Content ArticleThis video looks at design and implementation of emergency checklists for rapid sequence induction (RSI) in the emergency department and intensive care unit: Where we've gone wrong, why the evidence shows no benefit, and how we can improve. It is presented by Michael Lauria who was a Pararescueman (PJ) in the US Air Force and Critical Care/Flight Paramedic for the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Advanced Response Team (DHART) . Currently he is an Emergency Medicine resident at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center.
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Content ArticleThis table was included in the report Patient Safety Concerns in COVID-19 related events: a study of 343 event reports from 71 Hospitals in Pennsylvania, published by the Patient Safety Authority. It outlines 13 factors associated with patient safety concerns within COVID-19 related events. These include admssion screening, communication, knowledge deficit and medication. The full list with more detailed explanations of each can be downloaded via the attachment.
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Content ArticleOver 300 health and social care staff died in the UK during the first COVID‐19 wave. There are concerns regarding infection risks but there has been very little discussion or research on personal protective equipment (PPE) design. To understand how PPE changes clinical tasks, Hignett et al. conducted an online survey between (via Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.) 4 April and 8 May 2020, when there was a peak of 33,173 deaths. They focused on human factor/ergonomic issues to avoid preconception bias about availability to ask with regard to fit and comfort, reading and operating equipment, hearing and communicating, reaching and moving, and dexterity to use touch screens, press buttons, open vials/taps and use syringes.
