As part of its campaign to help Trusts eliminate avoidable death and harm to patients, Patient Safety First is launching a “Human factors” focus week on the 1 February 2010. “Human factors” can include environmental, organisational or job factors, or the individual characteristics that influence behaviour at work.
During the week, Patient Safety First will be hosting online sessions on different human factors themes and encouraging staff and managers to take one new “human factors” step. The sessions include:
• An introduction to human factors, 1 February (10:30-11:30), hosted by Ken Catchpole (Leverhulme research fellow, QRST Unit, University of Oxford) and Melinda Lyons (human factors lead, National Patient Safety Agency).
• Personal skills associated with human factors – lessons from the aviation industry, 2 February (08:30-09:30), hosted by Martin Bromiley (Founder, Clinical Human Factors Group).
• Human factors in perioperative care, 3 February (08:30-09:30), hosted by Jane Reid (Perioperative care intervention lead) and Diane Gilmour (President of the Association for Perioperative Practice).
• Truth and reconciliation following serious harm, Thursday 4 February (10:30-11:30), hosted by Martin Bromiley, Clare Bowen, Murray Anderson-Wallace and Sarah Garrett.
• Human factors - design/ergonomics, Friday 5 February (09:30-10:30), hosted by Melinda Lyons.
Martin Bromiley, founder of the Clinical Human Factors Group and core team member of Patient Safety First commented: "Clinicians and management alike should never underestimate the impact of human factors in healthcare. To develop a safety culture, Trust leaders and managers need to build an organisation-wide knowledge of human factors and how it relates to patient safety, and individuals and teams can use human factors knowledge to make their activities safer. This would go a long way towards creating an environment where staff can feel empowered to challenge observed omissions in care or unsafe practice.”
For further information, including a “How to” guide on human factors, and to register for online sessions, visit go to www.patientsafetyfirst.nhs.uk.
