Applying human factors engineering to work processes, technology, and environmental factors in the ICU can improve care delivery and patient outcomes.
Human factors engineering in ICU workflows may improve care delivery; leaves open the need for prospective trials to confirm benefits.
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.
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Harder et al. (2013) studied this question.
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