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Integrating human factors engineering into your pediatric radiology practice

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Abstract

Human factors engineering involves the study and development of methods aimed at enhancing performance, improving safety, and optimizing user satisfaction. The focus of human factors engineering encompasses the design of work environments and an understanding of human mental processes to prevent errors. In this review, we summarize the history, applications, and impacts of human factors engineering on the healthcare field. To illustrate these applications and impacts, we provide several examples of how successful integration of a human factors engineer in our pediatric radiology department has positively impacted various projects. The successful integration of human factors engineering expertise has contributed to projects including improving response times for portable radiography requests, deploying COVID-19 response resources, informing the redesign of scheduling workflows, and implementation of a virtual ergonomics program for remote workers. In sum, the integration of human factors engineering insight into our department has resulted in tangible benefits and has also positioned us as proactive contributors to broader hospital-wide improvements.

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Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

(adapted from Holden & Carayon, 2020). The diagram shows the work systems components, which require work in synergy to successfully complete the process and achieve the desired outcomes. In the case of the portable radiography work the variability of equipment, and introduction of a new hospital phone communications platform created a disruptive opportunity to alter the existing workflows and drive successful outcomes in coordination with the process improvement project

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Data availability

We do not analyze or generate any data sets for this work, because our work is a review of works completed as part of an operational role serving a clinical department.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Ms. Victoria Ramirez for her editorial support of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 3401 Civic Center Blvd, 19104, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Ethan P. Larsen, Monica Miranda Schaeubinger & Sudha Anupindi

  2. Center for Healthcare Quality and Analytics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Ethan P. Larsen & James Won

  3. Department of Radiology, UCSF Benihoff Children’s Hospital Oakland, Oakland, CA, USA

    Raymond W. Sze

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Contributions

EL and MMS drafted the manuscript. Studies discussed were conceived by EL, JW, RWZ, and SA; MMS supported EL in their execution. All Authors reviewed and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Ethan P. Larsen.

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Larsen, E.P., Schaeubinger, M.M., Won, J. et al. Integrating human factors engineering into your pediatric radiology practice. Pediatr Radiol 54, 936–943 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-024-05903-x

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