Human Factors and Ergonomics in Health Care

This chapter shows how the human factors and ergonomics (HFE) discipline can provide concepts, methods, and information for analyzing and redesigning health care systems and processes for the benefits of all involved, e.g., patients, caregivers, physicians, nurses, and other health care workers. It reviews dimensions of quality of care, and dedicate a separate section to the important problem of patient safety. The chapter examines systems approaches to health care and explores the HFE of medical devices and information technology. Special attention is given to the role of HFE in improving health care work systems and processes, and the emerging critical problem of stress and burnout among clinicians. Health information technologies, such as electronic health record technologies, can have negative impacts on patient safety. Several standards and requirements exist to regulate and ensure usability of health technologies.