Human factors is a discipline that focuses on interactions
between human beings and systems to improve efficiency,
creativity, productivity, safety and minimization of errors. The
inception of the Healthcare Human Factors (HHF) department at
UHN was rooted in the necessity to assess the design and
usability of technology being procured to fit the needs of
clinicians, technicians and other stakeholders.
The Healthcare Human Factors (HHF) at UHN is internationally
renowned and is one of the largest human factors teams dedicated
to the healthcare domain. Acting as consultants, researchers,
designers and evaluators, the HHF team is setting standards and
developing best practices for human factors in healthcare.
"In the clinical setting, we always try to look at healthcare
through a human factors lens and focus on the interaction
between technology, systems and people," says Wayne Ho -
Managing Director at HHF.
The program is driving change with a focus on three core areas:
Research, Design, and Evaluation. HHF has facilitated intuitive,
efficient, and effective products, services and systems by
utilizing a human-centered design process that considers
people’s behaviours, capabilities, limitations, and the broader
social, political, technological and cultural contexts in which
they operate. Staff and researchers immerse themselves in
real-world settings and employ a range of tools to uncover
opportunities for innovation and for the creation of meaningful,
human-centred products and services. From their simulation labs
at Toronto General Hospital, they have the capability to conduct
rigorous studies to assess the safety and usability of medical
technology to support a system in which preventable errors are
minimized and safety is seamlessly integrated into care.
For more information on Healthcare Human Factors, please visit:
https://humanfactors.ca/
