Human factors and ergonomics to improve performance in intensive care units during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has stretched health care resources to the point of crisis worldwide. It is considered the worst global emergency since World War II and has intensely shaken health systems, economies, and societies. The pandemic began in China back in December 2019 with rapid and extensive international spread, and a mortality rate of more than three million people to date, overwhelming hospitals, mortuaries, and cemeteries. The short-term impact on people takes the form of anxiety about health and livelihoods, and restrictive adjustments. Healthcare workers also carry the physical and psychological burden of working through further pandemic peaks having experienced the first wave. Although there has been growing recognition of the importance of human factors (HF), skills and ergonomics in delivering high quality care in the complex environment of the intensive care unit (ICU), the pandemic has sharply accelerated their application.

Exploring the nature of adaptive capacity for resilience in healthcare across different healthcare contexts; a metasynthesis of narratives

“…These enablers indicate similarities and interconnections with other existing studies. Several studies have emphasized the need for feedback and learning to ensure resilient performance (Della Torre et al, 2021;Haraldseid-Driftland et al, 2021;Parsons et al, 2016;Shirali et al, 2012;Aase et al, 2020). This is echoed in the findings in this study of knowledge and communication as enabling factors.…”

Ergonomic work from home and occupational health problems amid COVID-19

“…The findings of this study show that there is potential space for ergonomic improvement in the home office. Ergonomics training has been shown to be useful in lowering discomfort in both home-based offices and also in a workstation [66]. The necessity of boosting office ergonomic knowledge can play a vital role in empowering home office workers to mitigate the strong negative impact of current pandemic.…”

Interprofessional collaboration in primary health care from the perspective of implementation science

“…Communication in FHT should be conducted as a process of active and empathic listening 30 , thereby contributing to reduce conflicts 31 . Having times to improve communication, using specific techniques and non-violent communication, can improve relationships, increase empathy and trust, expand social support and have a direct impact on interprofessional collaboration 32 .…”