RESUMO
Medication errors are one of the biggest problems in healthcare. The medicines' poor labelling design (i.e. look-alike labels) is a well-recognised risk for potential confusion, wrong administration, and patient damage. Human factors and ergonomics (HFE) encourages the human-centred design of system elements, which might reduce medication errors and improve people's well-being and system performance. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study is twofold: (i) to use a human reliability analysis technique to evaluate a medication administration task within a simulated scenario of a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and (ii) to estimate the impact of a human-centred design (HCD) label in medication administration compared to a look-alike (LA) label. METHOD: This paper used a modified version of the human error assessment and reduction technique (HEART) to analyse a medication administration task in a simulated NICU scenario. The modified technique involved expert nurses quantifying the likelihood of unreliability of a task and rating the conditions, including medicine labels, which most affect the successful completion of the task. RESULTS: Findings suggest that error producing conditions (EPCs), such as a shortage of time available for error detection and correction, no independent checking of output, and distractions, might increase human error probability (HEP) in administering medications. Results also showed that the assessed HEP and the relative percentage of contribution to unreliability reduced by more than 40% when the HCD label was evaluated compared to the LA label. CONCLUSION: Including labelling design based on HFE might help increase human reliability when administering medications under critical conditions.
Assuntos
Unidades de Terapia Intensiva Neonatal , Erros de Medicação , Recém-Nascido , Humanos , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Preparações Farmacêuticas , Rotulagem de Medicamentos/métodosRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore how pedestrians´ safety perception concerning the built environmental characteristics can assist in designing a safer built environment in an urban area in Mexico. METHODS: The study involved two stages of data collection. In the first stage, a physical audit on selected urban roads was performed to assess the characteristics that may increase the perceived risk of a collision. An observational framework to evaluate the crossing areas, sidewalks and organizational factors was developed and used for data collection. In the second stage, an on-street questionnaire was applied to collect the perception of a group of 299 pedestrians about safety risks, road characteristics and their ideas for designing a safer built environment. RESULTS: The physical road audit identified several features in the crossing areas and sidewalks, such as parked cars, movable and fixed obstacles, and lack of traffic signage, which may increase the risk of a pedestrian being involved in a collision. More than half of the road users who were interviewed either agree (27%) or strongly agree (29%) with the statement that crossing the roads in the area was safe. However, pedestrians also identified the following elements as detrimental for the safe use of roads: lack of traffic lights, too much traffic, lack of signs, and parked cars that obstruct visibility. Participants also raised issues beyond the physical infrastructure; for instance, a lack of respect shown by drivers to pedestrians. For designing a safer built environment, participants suggested several ideas highlighting pedestrianization of the road and widening the sidewalks, along with restricting parking of cars on the road. CONCLUSIONS: This combination of findings provide valuable support for the premise that pedestrians may have a good sense of recognizing safety problems and the ability to see the solutions. Although the research was undertaken in the context of a municipality in Guadalajara, the role of pedestrian safety perception may be applicable in other urban settings in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), where local authorities are in charge of designing the road environment. This study highlights the relevance of including pedestrians' participation for a safer and human-centred design of our cities.
Assuntos
Ambiente Construído , Pedestres/psicologia , Segurança , Acidentes de Trânsito/prevenção & controle , Adulto , Cidades , Planejamento de Cidades , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , México , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Pedestres/estatística & dados numéricos , Inquéritos e Questionários , Adulto JovemRESUMO
BACKGROUND: When performing, classical guitarists interact with many elements which constitute their own "workstation". One of those elements is the support for guitar positioning. Support dimensions, form and materials may determine posture and affect the musician's comfort and performance. OBJECTIVE: To propose design requirements for new supports for guitar positioning, based on postural assessment, anthropometric criteria, self-efficacy and comfort perception. METHODS: Nine healthy Classical Guitar students were recruited. A postural assessment was undertaken using REBA, and 3DSSPP software with three different supports for guitar positioning. After the use of each support, a questionnaire about self-efficacy and comfort perception was completed by the participants. RESULTS: The higher scores of risk and a significant difference (ANOVA, pâ=≤05) regarding the left leg elevation were found with footstool usage. However, this one was identified by participants as the best support in terms of self-efficacy and comfort assessment. CONCLUSIONS: To improve performance and prevent physical injuries for guitarists, there is a need for designing guitar positionings supports based on ergonomics principles. This paper proposes eleven guidelines for designing these supports.
Assuntos
Ergonomia/normas , Música , Local de Trabalho/normas , Adulto , Análise de Variância , Ergonomia/estatística & dados numéricos , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Postura/fisiologia , Local de Trabalho/estatística & dados numéricosRESUMO
From an ergonomics perspective, the environmental characteristics should facilitate user activities. Matching user capabilities to demands of the environment is essential. However, about some users such as those with visual impairments, there is little information available for use in designing products and spaces. There is also a gap in information regarding the commutes and needs of the visually impaired, making it even more difficult to establish how environments should be designed to include this population.This study aimed to identify the information needs of people with visual impairment in terms of: 1) Daily life activities, 2) Wayfinding in the complex built environments, 3) Use of the signals provided by the environment 4) Characteristics of the environment which reduce the usability of a space and may put the user in danger, and 5) Safety perception. Data were obtained through a semi-structured interview to which eighteen adults responded. All had either complete blindness or severe visual impairment. For orientation, the most common references were texture or changes in ground level/surface, along with such ambient elements as noise or smells. Information presented in Braille was reported as little used, due to difficulty in finding such information. Regarding safety, participants reported feeling unsafe; most mentioned crossing the street as a major risk. Using auditory, tactile or even olfactory signals may provide important information while commuting: thus, designing signals which consider and highlight these senses is paramount. Assessing features and location of existing tactile signals is also required, to identify opportunities for improving the safety and independence of people with visual impairment.