Human factors within paramedic practice:the forgotten paradigm

Abstract

It would seem hard to imagine how you could draw a comparison between a commercial airline pilot struggling to land a stricken plane in a storm and a paramedic fighting to save the life of a patient in cardiac arrest. Although very different circumstances, they both have one thing in common: that is, they are both vulnerable to a condition known as ‘the human factor’. Examples of where Human Factors (HFs) exist within the prehospital profession can be various, common examples are environmental distractions e.g. noise from bystanders, mobile phones, machines, or more simply caused by lack of sleep and inadequate nourishment. This article discusses human factors within the prehospital environment and will highlight the benefits of being able to recognize and act upon them, with a specific focus upon the impact they can have on the ambulance practitioner operating in the field. It discusses human factors training and recognizes the role of crew resource management (CRM) and its importance within the prehospital profession.

Interdisciplinary communication on digital emergency networks in ambulance services: An exploratory study

“…For instance, paramedics and ambulance coordinators in acute emergency telephone centers have the same knowledge of what information to report concerning the patient's condition on their way to the hospital and of the standard procedures for assessment of the patient's condition, treatment and transport. This shared framework of understanding facilitates dialogue and action guidance [5,6].…”

“…Determining who the audience is, what should be communicated and how it should be communicated, requires non-technical skills [5,6]. As Fletcher [20] observes, these skills are…”

“…The importance of having non-technical skills in prehospital communication is obvious: there are no procedures for telling paramedics exactly how to adapt their written messages and verbal speech acts to their audiences' interactive perspectives [4,6]. Formulating an appropriate message requires individual non-technical skills -understanding what needs to be communicated.…”

“…However, little attention is paid to this in the literature on acute medicine and prehospital work; in an illuminating review article, Summers and Willis [6] show that only eight studies have been published on non-technical skills in prehospital work. Given that non-technical skills occupy a prominent position in this area of health care, it is safe to say that they should receive a much stronger focus in future research.…”

“…They must ensure effective external dialogue in relations with patients, and effective internal information exchange in relations with coworkers in other professions. The external relations have received most attention in the literature on health communication, but effective internal communication can be just as important [4][5][6].…”