Systems human factors: how far have we come?

when the rotterdam ophthalmic Institute set out to design a solution to an infection control problem in the operating room they developed a collaborative between surgical staff and tarmac operators at Schiphol airport and a work analysis to develop a design solution. traditionally this issue has been approached through staff training and technical changes, but their approach was firmly rooted in human factors. many people in healthcare will now be familiar with the term ‘human factors’, but how far have we come in applying this approach in healthcare? What progress have we made? one of the earliest references to human factors in the healthcare literature dates back to 1957 and calls for equipment to be designed in terms of human capabilities and limitations.1 Presenting data on physical and perceptual abilities (includin