Abstract
Many medical errors that involve drug infusion devices are related to classic interface problems. Although manufacturers are becoming increasingly aware of human factors design considerations, many devices that are currently on the market are still sub-optimal for human use. This places significant responsibility for device selection on institutional purchasing groups. Theories of naturalistic decision-making point to many potential strengths and pitfalls of group decision-making processes that may affect the final outcome. This paper describes a retrospective analysis of decision-making process for infusion pump selection in a large hospital and focuses on factors related to patient safety. Through a series of detailed interviews and a study of relevant documentation we characterized the nature of the decision-making, patterns of communication, and the roles of different participants. Findings show that although the process involves a number of different professional groups and committees, the information flow among them is restricted. This results in inadequate representation of critical device usability considerations in the decision-making process. While all participants view device safety as an important consideration in the selection process, administrators (who are the final decision-makers) tend to equate safety with technical accuracy and reliability, paying less attention to the role of human factors in safe device use. Findings suggest that collaborative communication technology and automated evidence-based guidelines could provide support to institutional decision-making, ensuring that the process is efficient, effective, and ultimately safe for the patients.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 31-44 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | Journal of Biomedical Informatics |
| Volume | 36 |
| Issue number | 1-2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 2003 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- Human factors design
- Institutional decision-making
- Patient safety
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Computer Science Applications
- Health Informatics
Cite this
Institutional decision-making to select patient care devices : Identifying venues to promote patient safety. / Keselman, Alla; Patel, Vimla; Johnson, Todd R.; Zhang, Jiajie.
In: Journal of Biomedical Informatics, Vol. 36, No. 1-2, 01.01.2003, p. 31-44.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Institutional decision-making to select patient care devices
T2 - Identifying venues to promote patient safety
AU - Keselman, Alla
AU - Patel, Vimla
AU - Johnson, Todd R.
AU - Zhang, Jiajie
PY - 2003/1/1
Y1 - 2003/1/1
N2 - Many medical errors that involve drug infusion devices are related to classic interface problems. Although manufacturers are becoming increasingly aware of human factors design considerations, many devices that are currently on the market are still sub-optimal for human use. This places significant responsibility for device selection on institutional purchasing groups. Theories of naturalistic decision-making point to many potential strengths and pitfalls of group decision-making processes that may affect the final outcome. This paper describes a retrospective analysis of decision-making process for infusion pump selection in a large hospital and focuses on factors related to patient safety. Through a series of detailed interviews and a study of relevant documentation we characterized the nature of the decision-making, patterns of communication, and the roles of different participants. Findings show that although the process involves a number of different professional groups and committees, the information flow among them is restricted. This results in inadequate representation of critical device usability considerations in the decision-making process. While all participants view device safety as an important consideration in the selection process, administrators (who are the final decision-makers) tend to equate safety with technical accuracy and reliability, paying less attention to the role of human factors in safe device use. Findings suggest that collaborative communication technology and automated evidence-based guidelines could provide support to institutional decision-making, ensuring that the process is efficient, effective, and ultimately safe for the patients.
AB - Many medical errors that involve drug infusion devices are related to classic interface problems. Although manufacturers are becoming increasingly aware of human factors design considerations, many devices that are currently on the market are still sub-optimal for human use. This places significant responsibility for device selection on institutional purchasing groups. Theories of naturalistic decision-making point to many potential strengths and pitfalls of group decision-making processes that may affect the final outcome. This paper describes a retrospective analysis of decision-making process for infusion pump selection in a large hospital and focuses on factors related to patient safety. Through a series of detailed interviews and a study of relevant documentation we characterized the nature of the decision-making, patterns of communication, and the roles of different participants. Findings show that although the process involves a number of different professional groups and committees, the information flow among them is restricted. This results in inadequate representation of critical device usability considerations in the decision-making process. While all participants view device safety as an important consideration in the selection process, administrators (who are the final decision-makers) tend to equate safety with technical accuracy and reliability, paying less attention to the role of human factors in safe device use. Findings suggest that collaborative communication technology and automated evidence-based guidelines could provide support to institutional decision-making, ensuring that the process is efficient, effective, and ultimately safe for the patients.
KW - Human factors design
KW - Institutional decision-making
KW - Patient safety
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0141682553&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0141682553&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S1532-0464(03)00055-8
DO - 10.1016/S1532-0464(03)00055-8
M3 - Article
VL - 36
SP - 31
EP - 44
JO - Journal of Biomedical Informatics
JF - Journal of Biomedical Informatics
SN - 1532-0464
IS - 1-2
ER -