Human factors issues in the intensive care unit

Kathleen A Harder, David Marc

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

In the context of an aging population, more critically ill patients, and a change in intensive care unit (ICU) services stemming from advances in technology, prevalent medical errors and staff burnout in the ICU are not surprising. The ICU provides ample opportunity for human factors experts to apply their knowledge about the strengths and weaknesses of human capabilities to design more effective care delivery. Human factors experts design work processes, technology, and environmental factors to effectively and constructively channel the attention and behavior of those providing care; a few areas of focus can have marked impacts on care delivery and patient outcomes. In this review, we focus on these 3 areas and investigate the solutions and problems addressed by previous research

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)405-414
Number of pages10
JournalAACN advanced critical care
Volume24
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2013

Keywords

  • Design
  • Errors
  • Human factors
  • Intensive care unit
  • Safety

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