Frontiers in human factors: Integrating human factors and ergonomics to improve safety and quality in Latin American healthcare systems

Carlos Aceves-González; Yordán Rodríguez; Carlos Manuel Escobar-Galindo; Elizabeth Pérez; Beatriz Gutiérrez-Moreno; Sue Hignett; Alexandra Rosewall Lang

doi:10.1093/intqhc/mzaa135

Frontiers in human factors: Integrating human factors and ergonomics to improve safety and quality in Latin American healthcare systems

Carlos Aceves-González, Yordán Rodríguez, Carlos Manuel Escobar-Galindo, Elizabeth Pérez, Beatriz Gutiérrez-Moreno, Sue Hignett, Alexandra Rosewall Lang

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article in an indexed scientific journal › peer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: The importance of human factors/ergonomics (HFE) is well established in all high-reliability systems but only applied in the healthcare sector relatively recently. Across many sectors, low-/middle-income countries (LMICs) lag behind more economically developed countries in their application of this safety science, due to resource and, in some cases, awareness and expertise. Most previous applications of HFE related to occupational ergonomics rather than healthcare safety. Methods: The paper details how the reputation of HFE is being developed within healthcare communities of Latin America (LatAm), through increasing awareness and understanding of its role as safety science in the healthcare sector. It starts by articulating the need for HFE and then provides examples from Mexico, Colombia and Peru. Results: The practical examples for research and education illustrate a developing awareness of the relevance of HFE to the healthcare sectors in LatAm and an appreciation of its worth to improve health service quality and patient safety through healthcare community engagement. A new LatAm Network of HFE in Healthcare Systems (RELAESA) was formed in 2019, which has provided a platform for HFE advice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: There is a real opportunity in LatAm and other LMIC health services to make more rapid and sustainable progress in healthcare-embedded HFE than has been experienced within healthcare services of more developed nations.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	45-50
Number of pages	6
Journal	International Journal for Quality in Health Care
Volume	33
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/intqhc/mzaa135
State	Published - 1 Jan 2021

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of International Society for Quality in Health Care.

Keywords

Healthcare
Human factors
Improvement
LMICs
Patient safety
Systems ergonomics

Types Minciencias

Artículos de investigación con calidad A2 / Q2

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1093/intqhc/mzaa135

Cite this

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title = "Frontiers in human factors: Integrating human factors and ergonomics to improve safety and quality in Latin American healthcare systems",

abstract = "Background: The importance of human factors/ergonomics (HFE) is well established in all high-reliability systems but only applied in the healthcare sector relatively recently. Across many sectors, low-/middle-income countries (LMICs) lag behind more economically developed countries in their application of this safety science, due to resource and, in some cases, awareness and expertise. Most previous applications of HFE related to occupational ergonomics rather than healthcare safety. Methods: The paper details how the reputation of HFE is being developed within healthcare communities of Latin America (LatAm), through increasing awareness and understanding of its role as safety science in the healthcare sector. It starts by articulating the need for HFE and then provides examples from Mexico, Colombia and Peru. Results: The practical examples for research and education illustrate a developing awareness of the relevance of HFE to the healthcare sectors in LatAm and an appreciation of its worth to improve health service quality and patient safety through healthcare community engagement. A new LatAm Network of HFE in Healthcare Systems (RELAESA) was formed in 2019, which has provided a platform for HFE advice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: There is a real opportunity in LatAm and other LMIC health services to make more rapid and sustainable progress in healthcare-embedded HFE than has been experienced within healthcare services of more developed nations.",

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Frontiers in human factors: Integrating human factors and ergonomics to improve safety and quality in Latin American healthcare systems. / Aceves-González, Carlos; Rodríguez, Yordán; Escobar-Galindo, Carlos Manuel et al.
In: International Journal for Quality in Health Care, Vol. 33, 01.01.2021, p. 45-50.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article in an indexed scientific journal › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Frontiers in human factors

T2 - Integrating human factors and ergonomics to improve safety and quality in Latin American healthcare systems

AU - Aceves-González, Carlos

AU - Rodríguez, Yordán

AU - Escobar-Galindo, Carlos Manuel

AU - Pérez, Elizabeth

AU - Gutiérrez-Moreno, Beatriz

AU - Hignett, Sue

AU - Lang, Alexandra Rosewall

PY - 2021/1/1

Y1 - 2021/1/1

N2 - Background: The importance of human factors/ergonomics (HFE) is well established in all high-reliability systems but only applied in the healthcare sector relatively recently. Across many sectors, low-/middle-income countries (LMICs) lag behind more economically developed countries in their application of this safety science, due to resource and, in some cases, awareness and expertise. Most previous applications of HFE related to occupational ergonomics rather than healthcare safety. Methods: The paper details how the reputation of HFE is being developed within healthcare communities of Latin America (LatAm), through increasing awareness and understanding of its role as safety science in the healthcare sector. It starts by articulating the need for HFE and then provides examples from Mexico, Colombia and Peru. Results: The practical examples for research and education illustrate a developing awareness of the relevance of HFE to the healthcare sectors in LatAm and an appreciation of its worth to improve health service quality and patient safety through healthcare community engagement. A new LatAm Network of HFE in Healthcare Systems (RELAESA) was formed in 2019, which has provided a platform for HFE advice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: There is a real opportunity in LatAm and other LMIC health services to make more rapid and sustainable progress in healthcare-embedded HFE than has been experienced within healthcare services of more developed nations.

AB - Background: The importance of human factors/ergonomics (HFE) is well established in all high-reliability systems but only applied in the healthcare sector relatively recently. Across many sectors, low-/middle-income countries (LMICs) lag behind more economically developed countries in their application of this safety science, due to resource and, in some cases, awareness and expertise. Most previous applications of HFE related to occupational ergonomics rather than healthcare safety. Methods: The paper details how the reputation of HFE is being developed within healthcare communities of Latin America (LatAm), through increasing awareness and understanding of its role as safety science in the healthcare sector. It starts by articulating the need for HFE and then provides examples from Mexico, Colombia and Peru. Results: The practical examples for research and education illustrate a developing awareness of the relevance of HFE to the healthcare sectors in LatAm and an appreciation of its worth to improve health service quality and patient safety through healthcare community engagement. A new LatAm Network of HFE in Healthcare Systems (RELAESA) was formed in 2019, which has provided a platform for HFE advice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: There is a real opportunity in LatAm and other LMIC health services to make more rapid and sustainable progress in healthcare-embedded HFE than has been experienced within healthcare services of more developed nations.

KW - Healthcare

KW - Human factors

KW - Improvement

KW - LMICs

KW - Patient safety

KW - Systems ergonomics

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U2 - 10.1093/intqhc/mzaa135

DO - 10.1093/intqhc/mzaa135

M3 - Artículo en revista científica indexada

C2 - 33432981

AN - SCOPUS:85100070221

SN - 1353-4505

VL - 33

SP - 45

EP - 50

JO - International Journal for Quality in Health Care

JF - International Journal for Quality in Health Care

ER -

Frontiers in human factors: Integrating human factors and ergonomics to improve safety and quality in Latin American healthcare systems

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

Types Minciencias

UN SDGs

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