HFE mechanisms between system design and patient safety
| HFE mechanisms | Objectives of system design |
|---|---|
| 1. A work system that is not designed according to HFE design principles can create opportunities for errors and hazards (see table 2 for examples of design principles) | The objective of HFE-informed system design is to identify and remove system hazards from the design through maintenance phases. |
| 2. Performance obstacles that exist in the work system can hinder clinicians’ ability to perform their work and deliver safe care | If some obstacles cannot be removed, for instance, because they are intrinsic to the job, then strategies should be designed to mitigate the impact of performance obstacles by enhancing other system elements (ie, balance theory of job design)41 42 |
| 3. A work system that does not support resilience can produce circumstances where system operators may not be able to detect, adapt to, and/or recover from errors, hazards, disruptions and disturbances | Work systems should be designed to enhance resilience and support adaptability and flexibility in human work,43 such as allowing problem or variance control at the source44 |
| 4. Because system components interact to influence care processes and patient safety, HFE system design cannot focus on one element of work in isolation.32 35 | Whenever there is a change in the work system, one needs to consider how the change will affect the entire work system, and the entire system needs to be optimised or balanced41 42 |
HFE, human factors and ergonomics.