Reducing Error

People make mistakes. Regardless of their experience, motivation, or vigilance, people make mistakes. And when the people making mistakes are healthcare practitioners, the consequences of those mistakes can be devastating. According to the oft-cited Institute of Medicine report, To Err is Human, medical errors cause as many as 98,000 deaths each year in the United States alone, more than traffic accidents, breast cancer or aids. Medical error is a undeniable problem.

The reality of medical errors is that they are seldom due to carelessness or negligence. More commonly, errors are caused by faulty systems: by basic flaws in the way healthcare technology and systems are designed and organized.

Human factors has a significant role to play in reducing errors, especially those associated with the use of medical devices. Human factors can help us understand why we make errors when using devices - why we misread displays, ignore important warnings, and push wrong buttons. In turn, human factors can also help us understand how to make medical devices safer - by designing devices that leverage our capabilities and accommodate our limitations.