Human Factors Engineering Can Protect Patient Safety During COVID-19

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Human Factors Engineering Can Protect Patient Safety During COVID-19

A new primer from AHRQ’s Patient Safety Network (PSNET) describes how human factors engineering can help healthcare teams reduce patient safety risks that arise from stresses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In times of stress, failures such as misdiagnoses and adverse events may increase due to factors such as fatigue and burnout, absence of team trust, time constraints and medical illness among staff, according to the primer. Authors highlight several patient safety strategies – effective use of signage, workflow review and redesign, safety checklists and simulation training – whose implementation is regarded as essential for keeping patients and healthcare providers safe in the age of COVID-19. Access the primer.