Work

A systematic review of human factors and ergonomics (HFE)-based healthcare system redesign for quality of care and patient safety

Year: 2014

Type: review

Abstract: Healthcare systems need to be redesigned to provide care that is safe, effective and efficient, and meets the multiple needs of patients. This systematic review examines how human factors and ergonomics (HFE) is applied to redesign healthcare work systems and processes and improve quality and safety of care. We identified 12 projects representing 23 studies and addressing different physical, cognitive and organisational HFE issues in a variety of healthcare systems and care settings. Some evidence exists for the effectiveness of HFE-based healthcare system redesign in improving process and outcome measures of quality and safety of care. We assessed risk of bias in 16 studies reporting the impact of HFE-based healthcare system redesign and found varying quality across studies. Future research should further assess the impact of HFE on quality and safety of care, and clearly define the mechanisms by which HFE-based system redesign can improve quality and safety of care.

Source: Ergonomics

DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2014.959070

Authors: Anping Xie, Pascale Carayon

Institutions: Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins Medicine, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Language: English

Topic: Patient Safety and Medication Errors

Subfield: Emergency Medical Services

Field: Health Professions

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: Georgia Clinical and Translational Science Alliance, National Institutes of Health, National Center for Research Resources, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences