Human Factors in Healthcare operations: A Case Study in Italian Emergency Rooms

Human factors (HFs) play a crucial role in healthcare operations, influencing care quality and operators’ well-being. This paper focuses on comprehending the relationships between HFs in healthcare processes and operations and their impact on the quality of care and workers’ well-being in the emergency room (ER), one of the hospital’s most critical and high-pressure departments. A literature review was conducted to identify relevant HFs in the healthcare sector. The analysis also includes a review of ER key performance indicators (KPIs) to determine how well they reflect the importance of HFs. The relationships within and among them are examined, and a causal loop diagram model is created to underline these relationships. The diagram provides a valuable tool for understanding and improving ER operations. It can be used to identify potential interventions that address the root causes of HFs issues, leading to improved quality of care, increased worker well-being, and enhanced efficiency. Future research should focus on validating the causal loop diagram and developing KPIs that specifically reflect worker well-being and support decision-making processes.