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Showing results for tags 'Ergonomics'.
Found 148 results
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Content ArticleHuman Factors and Ergonomics (HFE) is a discipline concerned with designing interactions in sociotechnical systems to improve both system performance and human well-being. This Cambridge Core Element introduces the core principles of HFE, tracing its development from multidisciplinary efforts to solve practical problems in military operations during the Second World War to its current application in healthcare improvement. The Element acknowledges the growing role of HFE in areas such as the design of the physical environment, medical device design, learning from patient safety incidents, and safety investigations. A critical reflection highlights persistent challenges, including conceptual ambiguity, structural and practical barriers to HFE integration, and the need both for a stronger evidence base and a compelling business case. The Element concludes by identifying future priorities for advancing HFE in healthcare, including continuing professional development and career pathways, embedding HFE in regulation and policy, and adopting evaluation approaches suited to complex systems.
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Content ArticleDigital health (DH) brings considerable benefits, but it comes with potential risks. Human Factors (HF) play a critical role in providing high-quality and acceptable DH solutions. Consultation with designers is crucial for reflecting on and improving current DH design practices. Authors of this study published in Applied Ergonomics, investigated the general DH design processes, challenges, and corresponding strategies that can improve the digital patient experience (PEx). Highlights: Key design phases in the digital healthcare industry are preparation, problem thinking, problem solving, and implementation. At an abstract level, design processes are similar across domains, but the emphasis on specific design phases is different. Contextual, practical, managerial, and commercial challenges often due to differences between disciplines and stakeholders. Design challenges and strategies often co-exist and represent two sides of the same coin. Stakeholder groups common to the digital health design process are clients, designers, domain experts, and end users. Clients, as decision-makers, often value clinical outcomes and business achievements more than user experiences.
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Event
Healthcare Ergonomics and Patient Safety 2025
Sam posted an event in Community Calendar
untilHEPS, the triennial conference on Healthcare Systems Ergonomics and Patient Safety, provides an international platform for the exchange and dissemination of knowledge and experiences between the disciplines of Human Factors/Ergonomics and of Medicine and Health. HEPS conferences are endorsed by the International Ergonomics Association and governed by its Technical Committee Healthcare Ergonomics. The HEPS 2025 conference "Safer Better Healthcare By All For All", will take place in Trinity College Dublin, Ireland and will bring together Patient and Public Involvement, Human Factor Ergonomics expertise and healthcare practitioners to address healthcare safety. Register -
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CIEHF: Ergonomics & Human Factors 2025
Patient Safety Learning posted an event in Community Calendar
untilOne of the main aims of human factors is to help support human performance and enable individuals, teams and organisations be the best they can be. The venue for this conference is St George's Park, the home of England football where the facilities, the coaches and the support personnel all strive to do the same thing, encouraging and training footballers to be the best they can be. Within the overall theme, this is a superb chance to showcase advances, investigations and case studies in sectors such as sport, healthcare, defence, pharma, energy, transport and manufacturing, alongside topics such as AI, climate change, emerging technologies, cybersecurity, safety culture, UX design and behaviour. Ergonomics & Human Factors conference in 2025 will see the launch of a new dedicated track focused on the application of human factors to medical devices and combination products. The one-day session will showcase research and case studies, and will also include a workshop and keynote. We invite submissions from medical device manufacturers, pharma, consultancy, regulatory bodies and academia, to champion the role of human factors in this sector. Submissions should contribute towards the advancement of human factors knowledge within medical devices and combination products, not only creating a safer healthcare system but maximising commercial success and end user satisfaction. Find out more -
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Rewards of managing risk in manufacturing
Patient Safety Learning posted an event in Community Calendar
This free webinar will be discussing what it means to ‘Do Quality Differently’, including proven practices that will help you drive improved performance and manage risk. Hear multiple case studies that illustrate examples of results that are possible from implementation of these practices. Learn about practical ‘how to’ guidance to help you either get started in integrating these practices or improve the likelihood they will be sustained if you have already started on a Human Performance journey. Who will this be of interest to? Anyone in any industry who has a need to manage operational risk and improve operational performance. Register -
Content ArticleClive Flashman, Patient Safety Learning's Chief Digital Officer, shares his presentation slides from the Health Plus Care 2022 conference. The presentation slides include basic principles, how to involve the patient and public in design, key issues and Clive's ten top tips for digital health innovators.
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Content ArticleNew developments in artificial intelligence (AI) are extensively discussed in public media and scholarly publications. While in many academic disciplines debates on the challenges and opportunities of AI and how to best address them have been launched, the human factors and ergonomics (HFE) community has been strangely quiet. In this paper, Gudela Grote discusses three main areas in which HFE could and should significantly contribute to the socially and economically viable development and use of AI: decisions on automation versus augmentation of human work; alignment of control and accountability for AI outcomes; counteracting power imbalances among AI stakeholders. She then outlines actions that the HFE community could undertake to improve their involvement in AI development and use, foremost translating ethical into design principles, strengthening the macro-turn in HFE, broadening the HFE design mindset, and taking advantage of new interdisciplinary research opportunities.
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Content ArticleThis research report by the Energy Institute is intended for senior management and specialists charged with designing and implementing indicators for major accident hazards safety, or responsible for operating such systems. The report provides an introduction to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) human factors key topics, and proposes ways in which these might be measured. It also sets out a process for identifying relevant PIs. The research report incorporates findings related to current thinking on safety PIs, in particular for human factors, how organisations currently monitor human factors in practice, and what processes are used to ensure appropriate indicators are selected.
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Content ArticleThis is the recording of a presentation given by Niall Downey at a recent Patient Safety Management Network (PSMN) meeting. Niall considered why error is inevitable, how it affects many different industries and areas of society and, most importantly, what we can do about it. Join the Patient Safety Management Network Do you work in patient safety and want to join the Patient Safety Management Network? You can join by signing up to the hub today. If you are already a member of the hub, please email [email protected] Related reading Find out more about Niall’s new book, Oops! Why things go wrong: Understanding and controlling error. You can also find a recent blog written by Niall on this subject on the hub.
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Event
Ergonomics & Human Factors 2023
Patient Safety Learning posted an event in Community Calendar
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EventuntilAfter two years with virtual workshops due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we are pleased to announce that the fifth International Workshop on Safety-II in Practice will be organised on site in Edinburgh, Scotland on September 7-9, 2022. The Workshop is organised by FRAMsynt. The workshop will begin with an optional half-day tutorial on Safety-II in Practice in the afternoon of September 7 (1330-1730 BST), and continue with two days of meetings and discussions from September 8 (0830-1700 BST) to September 9 (0830-1500 BST). There will be a walking tour of Edinburgh old town (hosted by Steven Shorrock) and a dinner on the evening of September 8 for those who wish to join. Aim of the workshop The aim of the workshop is to share experiences from existing and/or planned applications of a Safety-II approach in various industries and practices. The workshop will give the participants an opportunity to present and discuss problems encountered and lessons learned – good as well as bad, practical as well as methodological. The workshop is a unique opportunity for safety professionals and researchers to interact with like-minded colleagues, to debate the strengths and weaknesses of a Safety-II approach, and to share ideas for further developments. The guiding principle for the workshop is “long discussions interrupted by short presentations”. In order to achieve this, the number of participants will be limited to 60 – first come, first served. Participation The workshop is open to everyone regardless of their level of experience with Safety-II. It will address the use of Safety-II in a variety of fields and for purposes ranging from investigations, performance analyses, organisational management and development, individual and organisational learning, and resilience. The workshop will provide a unique opportunity to: Discuss and exchange experiences on how a Safety-II approach can be used to analyse and manage complex socio-technical systems. Receive feedback on and support for your own Safety-II projects and ideas. Learn about the latest developments and application areas of Safety-II. Develop a perspective on the long-term potential of a Safety-II approach. Discussion topics, presentations and papers You can contribute actively to the workshop by submitting proposals for: Topics or themes for panel discussions (preferably with a presentation or introduction, but open suggestions of themes are also welcome). Presentations of ongoing or already completed work in industry and/or academia. Ideas that you would like to get a second opinion on. Questions or issues that you have been wondering about and would like to hear more about. The relevance of a Safety-II perspective for individual and organisational learning. The strategic management of Safety-II: how to introduce changes to routines and daily practice. For each type of proposal, please provide a short abstract (about 100 – 200 words, but even less if need be) with a summary of what you would like to present or discuss and how you want to be involved. All proposals will be reviewed and comments to the submitters will be provided. Please submit your proposed contribution to: [email protected] Register
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EventuntilBringing together a community of human factors in patient safety advocates across Ireland and abroad, the annual Human Factors in Patient Safety Conference will offer the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and insights from human factors experts. The conference will include contributions from: Martin Bromiley OBE, Founder of Clinical Human Factors Group UK – Listening Down to Develop your Safety Behaviours Mr Peter Duffy, Consultant Urologist – Whistle in the Wind: a Personal Exploration of the Consequences of Whistleblowing in Healthcare Professor Eva Doherty (Chair), Director of Human Factors in Patient Safety – The Irish Context, panel discussion Healthcare professionals can register for the event here. For more information, please email [email protected].
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EventuntilThis free webinar will explore near misses in three different sectors and how controls can, or cannot, be developed to prevent future events. It will start with an introduction to the concept of near misses in healthcare and the challenges faced in learning from these near misses to improve safety. You will then hear how near misses are approached in rail and nuclear and how controls are developed in their processes. At this event, you’ll: Gain valuable insights from all three sectors: healthcare, rail and nuclear. Hear discussion about defining near misses with respect to controls. Learn how to build barriers in systems. Who will this be of interest to? This webinar will be of interest to anyone involved in the management of safety events in their industry/ organisation, and especially human factors practitioners, safety investigators, policy leads and regulators. Register
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EventuntilThe purpose of this online event is to demonstrate how human factors as a discipline can help address Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) issues. This webinar will explore the different situations that give rise to EDI issues, including the impact of equipment positioning on wheelchair users, the impact of open plan offices on neurodiverse people, and the impact of user interface language and terminology on people with communication difficulties. It will discuss the implications of these EDI issues, including the impact on the people directly experiencing them, as well as the wider impact on society. It will uncover how human factors can make a difference in addressing these issues, including adopting a systems approach, using a participatory design process and applying specific human factors methods to enhance EDI delivery. Register
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EventuntilA triennial event featuring over 200 sessions all available on demand plus 800 papers on over 30 themes from healthcare ergonomics, organisational design and management to biomechanics and human modelling and simulation. The Executive Panel will address the Congress theme "HF/E in a Connected World" which raises urgent scientific and professional challenges concerning human interaction with technology in the era of automated and ubiquitous cyber-physical technologies. Register
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EventAimed at Clinicians and Managers, this national virtual conference will provide a practical guide to human factors in healthcare, and how a human factors approach can improve patient care, quality, process and safety. Register
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Community PostHi I have been working in a presentation we are giving at ASPiH in November around the work we have done using simulation to test systems and processes. we have done this in two ways. Firstly as a by-product of an educational in situ simulation in s clinical environment where a latent threat has been identified. In this case we will work with the area in looking at just what contributes to the threat and ways that may help. The second way (and with my HF head on, more exciting) has been setting out to test a process. We have done this several times now and have had some real successes in demonstrating the work as done v work as imagined theory. has anyone else used simulation in this way? looking forward to your replies. Phil
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Community PostHi all, I had a great meeting with @Neal Jones yesterday and in a wide ranging discussion we reflected on design and human factors. I recall some great work many years ago on the redesign of ambulances (that the NPSA contributed to) and wondered what happened to that initative and whether this had developed into designing new hospitals for patient safety. @Neal Jones recalled the DOME (designing out medical error) project http://www.domeproject.org.uk/index.html. This web site is dated 2010 and it seems to have been a three year funded project. Is this innovative approach still 'live?' Does anyone know of any work on human factors in hospital design to deliver safer care (processes, equipment, layout, technology etc)? In the UK or internationally? By googling I've found articles on specific departmental inititaives and people calling for more to be done but not much of the 'how' or any requirment to embed patient safety into new build hospital deisgn. Surely there must be soemthing?!!
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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 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 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 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 Article
In this video, Tim McDonald, Chief Patient Safety and Risk Officer at RLDatix, Paul Bowie, Programme Director (Safety & Improvement) at NHS Education for Scotland, and Helen Hughes, Chief Executive of Patient Safety Learning, talk about the relationship between human factors, high reliability in healthcare and patient safety. The key topics covered in this video are as follows: What is human factors/ergonomics and how does it relate to healthcare? (at 2 mins and 20 secs) What is the value of high reliability to healthcare? (at 9 mins and 20 secs) How can patient insights and contributions help to create more highly reliable organisations? (at 17 mins and 40 secs) Reflections on the impact of culture and barriers pose to increasing resilience and learning from safety. (at 20 mins and 45 secs) The role of ‘speaking up’ initiatives. (at 25 mins and 40 secs) Incident reporting and the importance of using the data from this effectively to improve patient safety. (at 31 mins) This is part of a joint series of blogs and video conversations exploring how we can improve patient safety through the application of principles of high reliability in healthcare, made collaboratively by Patient Safety Learning and RLDatix. Previous content in this series includes: Introductory blog: Improving patient safety through high reliability Video conversation: The importance of culture in achieving high reliability in healthcare Blog: The link between high reliability and positive reporting -
Content ArticleWe are delighted to announce that Patient Safety Learning has been recognised amongst the finalists at this year’s Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors (CIEHF) Professional Awards 2021. We finished as runners-up for the President’s Award, which is for any group, institution or organisation that has made an outstanding contribution to the development of ergonomics and human factors in a specific industry or particular field of application. A short video providing an overview of the work we were nominated for can be found here. Human factors and patient safety Many patient safety issues are caused by systemic problems with poor design at their core. Human factors and ergonomics are hugely important in understanding human performance issues in health and social care and helping to identify risk of avoidable harm and the solutions needed to ensure patient and staff safety. Human factors and ergonomics feature very strongly in our award-winning platform to share learning for patient safety, the hub. We have created several areas for sharing and discussing a range of patient safety issues relating to this, including: The importance of designing for safety Our gallery highlighting error traps Our human factors resource section As an organisation we also work closely with CIEHF and human factors/ergonomics professionals on a variety of areas relating to the development of new approaches, guidance, and resources for patient safety. Some examples of this include contributing to the development of CIEHF’s Vaccinating a nation, its guidance aimed at supporting the safe roll-out of Covid-19 vaccination programmes, and highlighting concerns around the safety of new rapidly developed ventilators during the early stages of the pandemic. We are honoured to have been considered for this year’s President’s Award and to finish as runners-up alongside a very strong list of contenders. As we develop the hub as a global knowledge repository for patient safety, we will continue to embed the principles of human factors and ergonomics in all our work, in collaboration with leaders and clinicians in health and social care and working in partnership with the CIEHF.
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Content ArticleResilient Healthcare is an emerging theoretical field that has developed with influence from engineering, safety science, psychology, ergonomics, human factors, and aeronautics. Resilient Healthcare research has centred on understanding and improving the quality and safety of healthcare delivery. Theory is increasingly well-developed, but so far has only been applied in limited ways with select settings and activities. In order to improve the quality and safety of healthcare, it is essential to first understand the sources of complexity in clinical work. This ethnographic study from Sanford et al. of five hospital teams in a large, teaching hospital in central London aims to contribute to this growing evidence base by presenting data on specific challenges faced by healthcare workers and the adaptations they use to overcome them in everyday clinical work. This paper will present a new framework for recognising misalignments between demand and capacity and corresponding mechanisms for adaptation, which can be used to understand work-as-done in complex settings and to manage risk.
