Component 15 Unit 4: Human Factors and Healthcare
Self-Assessment with Answer Key
1. Which of the following is NOT a dimension that differentiates the discipline human factors from human computer interaction (HCI)?
A. Human factors places an emphasis on innovative design
B. Human factors has a focus on the study of devices and technology
C. Safety issues are a central concern in human factors
D. Study of the workplace is central to human factors analysis
Answer: A
Objective 4.1: Distinguish between human factors and human computer interaction (HCI) as they apply to usability, Lecture 1: Slide 4
2. Which of the following is a commonality between human factors and human computer interaction (HCI)?
A. Both emphasize innovative design and technology
B. Both share a main focus of patient safety issues
C. Both emphasize a user-centered approach to design
D. Both share the same history and academic societies
Answer: C
Objective 4.1: Distinguish between human factors and human computer interaction (HCI) as they apply to usability, Lecture 1: Slide 5
3. Which of the following is a focus of human computer interaction?
A. Cutting edge design and technology
B. Patient safety issues
C. Range of systems and technology
D. A and B
E. All of the above
Answer: A
Objective 4.1: Distinguish between human factors and human computer interaction (HCI) as they apply to usability, Lecture 1: Slide 4
4. All of the following are reasons why human factors have become increasingly important EXCEPT for which one?
A. Increase in use of technology by diverse users
B. A growing awareness of safety concerns
C. The cost to humans in technology error
D. Increase in need for quality control
E. All of the above are reasons
Answer: E
Objective 4.1: Distinguish between human factors and human computer interaction (HCI) as they apply to usability, Lecture 1: Slides 6-7
5. Identify the focus, the goal, and TWO (2) examples of application for human factors by filling in the blanks below.
Focus of Human Factors: ______
Goal of Human Factors: ______
Examples of Application:
1. ______
2. ______
Answer: Scoring Rubric: (Acceptable answers for awarding 1 point for each characteristic are inserted in boxes below headings.)
Focus of Human Factors: Human beings and their interactions with products, tasks, environments
Goal of Human Factors: Design systems and system components to match the capabilities and limitations of humans who use them
Examples of Application:
1. Military, highway systems, auto design, computer systems, healthcare
2. Aging and accessibility, nuclear power, workplace layout, airline industry, quality control
Objective 4.1: Distinguish between human factors and human computer interaction (HCI) as they apply to usability, Lecture 1: Slides 8-9
6. All of the following are subdisciplines of human factors/ergonomics EXCEPT for which one?
A. Organizational Ergonomics
B. Physical Ergonomics
C. System-Centered Ergonomics
D. Cognitive Ergonomics
Answer: C
Objective 4.2: Explain how cognitive, physical and organization ergonomics can be applied to human factors engineering, Lecture 1: Slide 14
7. Designing the nurse workplace station to facilitate and support usability is an example of which ergonomic domain?
A. Organizational
B. Physical
C. Cognitive
D. A and B
E. All of the above
Answer: B
Objective 4.2: Explain how cognitive, physical and organization ergonomics can be applied to human factors engineering, Lecture 1: Slide 15
8. Designing the work schedule for healthcare workers to ensure that they receive adequate breaks is an example of which ergonomic domain?
A. Organizational
B. Physical
C. Cognitive
D. A and B
E. All of the above
Answer: A
Objective 4.2: Explain how cognitive, physical and organization ergonomics can be applied to human factors engineering, Lecture 1: Slide 16
9. Designing a computer software program to enhance the ability of physicians to make decisions is an example of which ergonomic domain?
A. Organizational
B. Physical
C. Cognitive
D. A and B
E. All of the above
Answer: C
Objective 4.2: Explain how cognitive, physical and organization ergonomics can be applied to human factors engineering, Slide 3Lecture 1: Slide 17
10. Selective attention is characterized by an ability to do which of the following?
A. Make the right decision in the right context
B. Reduce errors by concentrating on the correct feature set
C. Ignore extraneous information and focus on relevant inputs
D. Reduce visual noise in one channel while concentrating one’s efforts on an auditory channel
Answer: C
Objective 4.3: Describe how the concepts of mental workload, selective attention and information overload affect usability, Lecture 1: Slide 20
11. Which of the following factors has been shown to adversely effect performance?
A. An upcoming deadline
B. An increase in workload
C. An increase is compensation
D. A and B
E. All of the above
Answer: D
Objective 4.3: Describe how the concepts of mental workload, selective attention and information overload affect usability, Lecture 1: Slide 20
12. Which selective attention factor refers to the fact that we tend to sample the world where we expect to find information?
A. Salience
B. Expectancy
C. Effort
D. Cognition
Answer: B
Objective 4.3: Describe how the concepts of mental workload, selective attention and information overload affect usability, Lecture 1: Slide 22
13. Which selective attention factor refers to the fact that events that are relevant to us tend to capture our attention?
A. Salience
B. Expectancy
C. Effort
D. Cognition
Answer: A
Objective 4.3: Describe how the concepts of mental workload, selective attention and information overload affect usability, Lecture 1: Slide 22
14. Which selective attention factor refers to the fact that an extreme effort to accomplish a task may inhibit attention?
A. Salience
B. Expectancy
C. Effort
D. Cognition
Answer: C
Objective 4.3: Describe how the concepts of mental workload, selective attention and information overload affect usability, Lecture 1: Slide 22
15. Identify FOUR (4) recommendations to improve design of a software program in the healthcare setting.
1. ______
2. ______
3. ______
4. ______
Answer:
1. Reduce the number of competing channels of information
2. Make sources of information as distinct as possible
3. Provide feedback
4. Use redundant cues
5. Work/rest scheduling
6. Training
Objective 4.3: Describe how the concepts of mental workload, selective attention and information overload affect usability, Lecture 1: Slide 24
16. The following quote “When human error is viewed as a cause rather than a consequence, it serves as a cloak for our ignorance,” suggests which of the following?
A. Posthoc evaluations of error are affected by hindsight bias that masks the dilemmas, uncertainties, and demands of factors.
B. Humans are essentially blameless when you closely scrutinize the latent conditions
C. Active errors, which are human-based, are qualitatively different from latent errors, which are computer-based.
D. Human error often reveals a long chain of events and conditions that greatly increase the likelihood of human error
E. All of the above
Answer: D
Objective 4.4: Describe the different dimensions of the concept of human error, Lecture 2: Slide 4
17. Which of the following is NOT an example of a slip?
A. Nurse neglects to change the dose of medication as requested by the resident
B. Physician mistakenly dismisses early signs of congestive heart failure as asthma due to allergies
C. Pharmacist mixes up medication labels causing the wrong medication to be given to a patient
D. Nurse prepares an infusion pump drip and executes every step except pressing the start key to initiate the process
E. All of the above are examples of slips.
Answer: B
Objective 4.4: Describe the different dimensions of the concept of human error, Lecture 2: Slides 11-16
18. According to James Reason, which of the following conditions refers to the enduring systemic problems that lay dormant for some time and combine with other system problems to weaken the systems defenses and make errors possible?
A. Active conditions
B. Latent conditions
C. Cognitive conditions
D. Human conditions
Answer: B
Objective 4.4: Describe the different dimensions of the concept of human error, Lecture 2: Slide 6
19. Identify TWO (2) examples of active failure and TWO (2) examples of latent failure in the healthcare setting.
Active Failure:
1. ______
2. ______
Latent Failure:
1. ______
2. ______
Answer:
*Answers may vary – Instructor’s discretion
Active Failure:
1. Mistake during surgery
2. Wrong medication administered
Latent Failure:
1. Extended work hours
2. Staffing problems
Objective 4.4: Describe the different dimensions of the concept of human error, Lecture 2: Slides 5-6
20. All of the following are characteristic of the human interface dimension as it applies to the analysis of adverse events EXCEPT for which one?
A. Medical Devices
B. Equipment Location
C. Paper/electronic Charts
D. Distractions
E. All of the above are characteristics
Answer: E
Objective 4.5: Describe a systems-centered approach to error and patient safety, Lecture 2: Slide 18
21. In analyzing the time course of error, a “near miss” refers to:
A. An adverse event in which the damage is limited
B. An error was committed, but was corrected before damage resulted
C. A minor problem resulting from normal routine work that resulted in minor damage
D. An error that can be viewed as distributed in the social world and thereby diffused before tragedy strikes
Answer: B
Objective 4.5: Describe a systems-centered approach to error and patient safety, Lecture 2: Slide 20
22. Which of the following is a reason why stress and burnout can have a negative impact on performance with respect to the effect of heavy workload on performance?
A. It can lead to frustration and negative attitudes towards one job.
B. Nurses will often fail to administer the appropriate medication dosages
C. It depletes ones attentional resources and leaves an employee with insufficient time to perform tasks safely.
D. It results in reduced physical and cognitive resources to perform adequately
E. It invariably results in numerous adverse events
Answer: D
Objective 4.6: Apply methods for measuring mental workload and information overload, Lecture 3: Slide 2
Fill in the blanks.
23. For each mechanism of workload listed below, give ONE (1) example of how that mechanism could affect a physician from optimal performance on the job.
Example of how mechanism could affect a physician from performing his or her job:
Time: ______
Motivation: ______
Stress and Burnout: ______
Attention Errors: ______
Systemic Impact: ______
Answer: Scoring Rubric: (Acceptable answers for awarding 1 point for each characteristic are inserted in blanks below headings.)
Example of how mechanism could affect a physician from performing his or her job:
Time: Little time to double-check medications
Motivation: Frustration and negative attitude toward job
Stress and Burnout: Reduced physical and cognitive resources to perform adequately
Attention Errors: Forgetting to prescribe medications
Systemic Impact: A specialty physician may not be available to assist with patient referral.
Objective 4.6: Apply methods for measuring mental workload and information overload, Lecture 3: Slide 2
24. List the SIX (6) subscales of the NASA Task Load Index.
1. ______
2. ______
3. ______
4. ______
5. ______
6. ______
Answer:
1. Mental demands
2. Physical demands
3. Temporal demands
4. Own performance
5. Effort
6. Frustration
Objective 4.6: Apply methods for measuring mental workload and information overload, Lecture 3: Slide 4
25. Assessing whether a task was simple or complex would fall under which subscale of the NASA Task Load Index?
A. Effort
B. Frustration
C. Mental demands
D. Physical demands
E. Temporal demands
Answer: C
Objective 4.6: Apply methods for measuring mental workload and information overload, Lecture 3: Slide 5
26. Assessing the amount of time pressure felt during a task would fall under which subscale of the NASA Task Load Index?
A. Effort
B. Frustration
C. Mental demands
D. Physical demands
E. Temporal demands
Answer: E (1 point)
Objective 4.6: Apply methods for measuring mental workload and information overload, Lecture 3: Slide 5
27. Which of the following represent limitations in the use of mobile health devices with patients
A. They are surprisingly heavy for older adults
B. The small screen diminishes visibility and interactivity
C. Complex hierarchical menu systems makes navigation challenging
D. B and C
E. All of the above
Answer: D
Objective 4.7: Describe how human factors analysis can be applied to the study of medical devices, Lecture 3: Slide 10
28. Write a one (1) to two (2) page response to the scenario given below.
You’ve been hired by a hospital to lead a team of human factors analysts. The hospitals administrators are trying to understand why their newly build intensive care is experiencing such a high rate of medication errors. Develop a plan for investigating this problem by Using Henriksen’s systems-centered framework. The plan should include the study of FIVE (5) or SIX (6) factors drawn from different categories in the hierarchy. Please explain your choices.
Answer: Holistic Rubric:
**Note this is more of a thinking exercise. The students would not be expected to have the skills necessary to formally develop and execute such a plan.
Rating & Description of Performance
5- Accurately identified six (6) factors of Henriksen’s systems-centered framework and used plausible explanations in their response.3-Identified two (2) - three (3) methods to approach the problem and provided partial explanations and a reasonable time frame.
4- Accurately identified five (5) factors of Henriksen’s systems-centered framework and used plausible explanations in their response.
3- Accurately identified three (3) – four (4) factors of Henriksen’s systems-centered framework and used somewhat plausible explanations in their response.
2-Accurately identified two (2) – three (3) factors of Henriksen’s systems-centered framework and used partial explanations in their response.
1- Identified one (1) – two (2) factors of Henriksen’s systems-centered framework and used poor explanations in their response.
Objective 4.0: Apply concept knowledge of human factors to the evaluation of systems-design and the study of human errors and patient safety, All Slides
Component15/Unit4Health IT Workforce Curriculum1
Version 2.0/Spring 2011
This material was developed by Columbia University, funded by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology under Award Number 1U24OC000003.