More than 70 healthcare professionals came together in London on 25 April 2018 to attend an event organised by the Global Digital Exemplar (GDE) learning network.
The event ‘Human factors and its consequences for patient safety’ was organised by Arden & GEM CSU, on behalf of NHS Digital, to enable GDE sites and their partners to share experiences and to hear from leading experts in the field of human factors.
Improving patient safety is a key driver behind the digitisation agenda but implementing an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) is not in itself a guarantee of success. In order to deliver the desired benefits, a human factors focus is needed – ensuring systems are not only usable but that workflows are intrinsically designed around healthcare professionals.
The morning’s keynote speakers included renowned human factors consultant, Jane Carthey, Terry Fairbanks and Raj Ratwani from the National Center for Human Factors in Healthcare based in the United States, and NHS Digital’s provider services director, Alex Chaplin.
Delegates also heard case studies from Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust and Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust.
A series of interactive workshops, in the afternoon, looked at practical ways to quickly and efficiently optimise usability of existing solutions; equipping attendees with the skills and tools to follow a journey of continuous improvement.
The presentations and recordings from the event are available to Trusts via the Future NHS collaboration platform. For further details regarding access, please visit https://future.nhs.uk/.