| CODE | HSL5002 | |||||||||
| TITLE | Advanced Human Factors Ergonomics (HFE) and Patient Safety | |||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | |||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | |||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | |||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Health Systems Management and Leadership | |||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study unit is intended to advance students to the subject of Human Factors Ergonomics (HFE) and its application in relation to preventing and managing patient safety issues in the different areas of care and across sectors. It will discuss the role of the Ergonomist/Human Factors professional within the healthcare, social and other related sectors. This would also include the ergonomist’s contribution in the design of products, services and systems of work that effectively protect the safety of the service user and ultimately safeguard the professional and the institution providing the service. Study-Unit Aims: This study aims to advance the subject of Human Factors Ergonomics (HFE) and its application in relation to preventing and managing patient safety issues in the different areas of care and across sectors. It will discuss the role of the Ergonomist/Human Factors professional within the healthcare, social and other related sectors. This would also include the ergonomist’s contribution in the design of products, services and systems of work that effectively protect the safety of the service user and ultimately safeguard the professional and the institution providing the service. The objective of this module is to create an awareness amongst various professions involved in healthcare, social and related sectors within an interdisciplinary mode of working on the importance of HFE on patient safety and clinical risk management. Medical errors and other adverse events can be prevented through the correct application of HFE principles. The use of HFE when applied to the design of workplace and care environments, user interfaces, task analysis and systems of work can promote both the safety of the patient and the worker's physical and psychological wellbeing. Through the use of case studies, the students will be introduced to the use of different models and tools used in the analysis of HFE and its impact on the design of workplaces that improve and safeguard patient safety. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Conceptualize in greater depth the terms Human Factors Ergonomics (HFE) and Patient Safety across contexts within healthcare, social and related sectors; - Classify the different types of HFE and their relevance to the various sectors in the delivery of services; - Operationalize the efficiency and effectiveness of HFE across contexts; - Provide case studies to showcase the relevance HFE in practice across sectors; - Describe the relevance of HFE intervention in addressing safety in healthcare and social care design. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Outline HFE concepts across contexts in healthcare and social care; - Outline a number of HFE operationalization tools to proactively design safe workplaces in the health and social care systems; - Outline a number of HFE analysis tools used in incident investigation and task analysis for the re-design of a safe healthcare and social care systems; - Utilize such tools in the evaluation of accessibility, adaptability and usability of products and services designed for an identified population of service users. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Waterson, P. (Ed.). (2018). Patient safety culture: theory, methods and application. CRC Press - Carayon, P. (Ed) 2012. Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics in Healthcare and Patient Safety. CRC Press - Bridger, R. 2017. Introduction to Human Factors and Ergonomics, 4th Ed. CRC Press - Pheasant, F., Hazelgrave, C. 2006. Bodyspace; Anthropometry, Ergonomics and the Design of Work. 3rd ed. CRC Press. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture, Ind Study, Group Learning and Tutorials | |||||||||
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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