Human-equipment interfaces and patient safety in hospital settings

Human-Equipment Interface

Technological transformations have brought widespread use of machines and tools to the work setting. Owing to this, such concepts as human-machine/equipment interfaces have become increasingly prominent. In its simplest form, human-machine interface (HMI) refers to the point or extent of interaction between a machine and its operator; taken literally, it is the area of the machine and that of the human that interact during the execution of a task. As the use of machines at the workplace increases, the HMI concept becomes more relevant. This is particularly because machines and equipment keep getting rather complicated and advanced, and as users make more and more use of them, the risk of error increases. In this regard, manufactures are under pressure to continually develop tools and machines that align with human anatomy, limitations, and skills to make the user-machine interface safer for users (Flasporer, et al., 2002).

Human-Equipment Interfaces in a Hospital Setting

In a hospital setting, medical practitioners interact with a wide array of medical devices -- for instance, i) they have to feed patients' health and medical records as well as prescriptions into a computer, in which case they interact directly with the screen through the eyes, and the keyboard or mouse through the hand; ii) they have to infuse patients using the infusion pump, where they use both their eyes and their hands to set the desired flow rate on the display surface; iii) they have to use oxygen machines to treat patients, and similarly have to set the flow control knob at the desired levels, and so on (Sawyer, 2014). All these represent examples of user-machine interfaces in a hospital environment that though important to a patient's healing environment; need to be controlled in order to realize the desired outcomes. It is for this reason that manufacturers are required to design their equipment in line with humans' basic sensory and physical capabilities, which include reach, strength, manual dexterity, hearing and vision (Sawyer, 2014). Effective equipment-designing is one of the key ways of controlling user interfaces and making them safer for both practitioners and patients.

Types of Human-Equipment Interface Controls

In an attempt to improve the interface between users and hardware, devices have increasingly been designed with large consoles; properly-spaced, easy-to-operate keys, unambiguous labels; and functional groupings of displays and controls as a way of ensuring that users can easily differentiate between keys, knobs, and labels, and that the risk of inadvertent manipulation is kept considerable low (Sawyer, 2014). Shape and color coding that are in congruence with universal industry conventions are often used to make displays and controls easily identifiable, and minimize the risk of misidentification and inadvertent activation (Sawyer, 2014).

Design controls have also been put in place to reduce the risk of patients dying as a result of improper installation of equipment as was the case when a patient died from impeded air flow after a nurse installed an oxygen machine upside down (Sawyer, 2014). These include numbering cables and hardware components for easy installation, using color codes to help the user make proper connections, and using graphics to make user manuals easier to understand (Sawyer, 2014).

Alarms are another crucial component in hospital settings. However, if not properly-designed, they could cause injury or even death. Alarm-associated problems include accidental disabling as mentioned earlier on, inappropriate silencing, ambiguous meanings, delayed alarms, false alarms, or alarms that are not loud enough (Sawyer, 20014). To minimize the risk of such problems, facilities are increasingly ensuring that auditory and visual alerts are incorporated into their alarm systems. Further, facilities are making greater use of critical alarm systems, which are more effective than conventional models owing to their ability to provide redundant visual and auditory signals (Sawyer, 2014). Moreover, modern alarms are designed to indicate the source of the problem, as well as mechanisms for querying this source, and visual indicators for showing the status of the problem. Color and code systems that correspond to universal conventions are also increasingly being used to minimize the risk of accidents resulting from misguided pressings (Sawyer, 2014).

Conclusion

As the state of technology progresses, the human-machine interface concept becomes more relevant. Positive outcomes can only be realized if humans interact safely with the equipment and machines that they use in executing their tasks. There have been numerous cases of injury or death resulting from wrongful installation of machines, inappropriate labeling of equipment, and other such errors. As a result, designers and organizations alike have put in place controls to make the human-equipment interface safer and less prone to error.