The field of Human Factors emerged during World War II because of the need to improve the design of aircrafts and military equipment, while paying attention to human fatigue, perception, thinking, understanding, and usability. It's where psychology meets engineering to design processes that make it easy for people to do the right thing. Paul Bowie tells us how Human Factors expanded into health care to improve how people interact with health systems. It’s less about creating the perfect clinician and more about designing the perfect (or at least a much better) interaction between humans and health systems.
References:
- Bowie P, Baharnah AA, Alkutbe R, Abid MM, Almelaifi A, Abid MH. Using human factors science to improve quality and safety of healthcare. Glob J Qual Saf Healthc. 2024;8:93–96.
- Russ AL, Fairbanks RJ, Karsh B-T, Militello LG, Saleem JJ, Wears RL. The science of human factors: separating fact from fiction. BMJ Qual Saf. 2013;22:802–808.
- Human Factors Engineering. PSNet [internet]. 2019. Last reviewed 2024. https://psnet.ahrq.gov/primer/human-factors-engineering. Accessed October 30, 2025.
- Carayon P, Werner N, Makkenchery A, et al. Using human factors engineering and the SEIPS model to advance patient safety in care transitions. PSNet [internet]. November 16, 2022. https://psnet.ahrq.gov/perspective/using-human-factors-engineering-and-s.... Accessed October 30, 2025.
- National Quality Board. Human factors in healthcare: a concordat from the National Quality Board. November 2013.
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