'Strangers in a strange land': Understanding professional challenges for human factors/ergonomics and healthcare

Shawna J Perry; Kenneth Catchpole; A Joy Rivera; Sarah Henrickson Parker; John Gosbee

doi:10.1016/j.apergo.2019.103040

'Strangers in a strange land': Understanding professional challenges for human factors/ergonomics and healthcare

Appl Ergon. 2021 Jul:94:103040. doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2019.103040. Epub 2021 Mar 3.

Authors

Shawna J Perry¹, Kenneth Catchpole², A Joy Rivera³, Sarah Henrickson Parker⁴, John Gosbee⁵

Affiliations

¹ University of Florida College of Medicine-Jacksonville, USA. Electronic address: sperry33@jh.edu.
² Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), Charleston, SC, USA. Electronic address: catchpol@musc.edu.
³ Froedtert Hospital, Froedtert Health &the Medical College of Wisconsin, USA. Electronic address: Antonia.Rivera@Froedtert.com.
⁴ Carilion Clinic, Roanoke, VA, USA; Virginia Tech University, USA. Electronic address: separker@vtc.edu.
⁵ Red Forest Consulting LLC, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. Electronic address: gosbee@sbcglobal.net.

Abstract

Human Factors and ergonomics (HFE) expertise continues to have difficulty integrating its experts into healthcare. This persistent disconnect is compounded by unique aspects of healthcare as an institution, industry and work system. Clinically-embedded HFE practitioners, a new HFE sub-specialty, are a conduit for addressing substantive mismatches between the two domains. Greater HFE penetration will require a fundamental change in stance for both domains, however, the burden will lie with HFE to be the more adaptive of the two. Learning more about the in situ work of this sub-specialty will provide insights for more nuanced approaches to bridging domain specific mismatches and obstacles.

Keywords: Embedded human factors; Healthcare; Systems thinking.

MeSH terms

Delivery of Health Care*
Ergonomics*
Health Facilities
Humans

Grants and funding

R18 HS026625/HS/AHRQ HHS/United States