by
Lauren Dubinsky, Senior Reporter | December 04, 2014
From the December 2014 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
Q&A with Vicki Lewis, human factors engineer at Healthcare Safety Strategies, LLC
When an end-user is not able to use a device correctly they often think it’s their fault when it really is an issue with the design of the device. Vicki Lewis, a human factors engineer at Healthcare Safety Strategies, LLC spoke with HealthCare Business News about how an end-user can recognize usability problems and what manufacturers and health care technology managers need to do to solve them.
HCBN: Who are HTMs and what role do they play in patient care and safety?
VL: Health care technology managers are the people who implement and maintain health care technologies in different environments. For example, a hospital has HTM staff who are in charge of making sure that the equipment is performing correctly. HTM professionals may also go to patient’s homes if they have new technology for home care. They really serve in a variety of roles that support a device, so they see how end users are using a product.
HCBN: What skills should an end-user look for in a HTM?
VL: The most obvious thing is a professional who understands the mechanical, electrical, and computer functions of a device. However, I think that there is a lot of opportunity for health care technology managers to act as a safety layer between an end-user of a device and the manufacturer.
It’s very common for health care technology managers to get a phone call from someone because a device is not working properly. If trained with some knowledge of human factors and usability, the health care technology manager may realize that the device is working as designed but is difficult to use correctly.
The health care technology manager really has the opportunity to serve in this vital role of looking a little more carefully at how the device is being used and why the end user is struggling to use the device correctly. If they have the training, they can act as liaison between the end-user and the medical device vendor to let them know that there are usability problems, which may also be safety problems. Of course, these usability problems should be reported to the FDA.
HCBN: How should an end-user go about talking to a HTM about a usability problem?
VL: First, if an end-user can’t get a device to do what they need it to, then the health care technology manager can make sure that the device is mechanically functioning correctly. Then, if the device is functioning properly, an end-user and HTM professional can talk about how the device is actually being used. It could be something as simple as the coding of the buttons being confusing.
