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The Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics (AHFE 2014) Conference Management System is now open and available for proposal & abstract submissions

A recent study done by Johns Hopkins researchers concludes that “limiting the number of continuous hours worked by medical trainees failed to increase the amount of sleep each intern got per week, but dramatically increased the number of potentially dangerous handoffs of patients from one trainee to another”.

The researchers also found that, “the minimal number of patient handoffs between interns increased from three for those working 30 hours to as high as nine for those working 16-hour shifts. The more handoffs, the less continuity of care and the more room for medication and other treatment and communication errors, past research has shown. Meanwhile, the minimal number of different interns caring for a given patient during a three-day stay increased from three to as high as five. Whether or not, or in what way, that affects patient care or patient satisfaction is another unknown.”

Interestingly enough, this study also found that “although interns on the 16-hour limit schedule did sleep an average of three hours longer during the 48 hours encompassing their on-call period than those working 30-hour shifts, there was no difference in the amount of sleep they got across a week.”

"During each call period, the interns had 14 extra hours out of the hospital, but they only used three of those hours for sleeping."

Primary researcher Dr. Desai stated "we don't know if that's enough of a physiologically meaningful increase in sleep to improve patient safety".

Basic human factors knowledge suggests that human performance improves when the human body is in good physical condition—in this case sufficient sleep or a shorter shift—and allows for better decision-making and an improvement in safety and health.

However the study continues to suggest that the increases in the number of patient handoffs contribute to “the less continuity of care and the more room for medication and other treatment and communication errors”. If this is the case, shouldn’t the solution instead be one that consists of a better shift configuration, rather than reverting back to long shifts?

A.M.

References
Reducing work hours for medical interns increases patient 'handoff' risks.
Doctor Fatigue Raises Car Accident Risk: Study, 12/26/2012.

The 5th International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics 2014 will be held in Kraków , Poland.
Kraków is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Wisla River in a valley at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains. The city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centers of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life and is one of Poland's most important economic hubs. Its Old City (Stare Miasto) is home to about six thousand Renaissance, Baroque and Gothi buildings and more than two million works of art.

Developed over many centuries, Kraków provides a showcase setting for many historic styles of architecture. As the city expanded, so too did the architectural achievements of its builders. It is for this reason that the variations in style and urban planning are so easily recognizable. Built from its nucleus (the city center) outwards, and having escaped much of the destruction endured by Poland during 20th-century wars, Kraków's many architectural monuments can typically be seen in historical order by simply walking from the city center out towards its later districts.

Kraków's historic center, which includes the Old Town, Kazimierz and the Wawel Castle, was included as the first of its kind on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1978.

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The Health and Safety Report, The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS), March 2013.

Human Factor sand Ergonomics Society Bulletin, Volume 56, Number3. March 2013.

Ergonomics in Design: The Quarterly of Human Factors Applications,” HFES, January 2013.

NIOSH eNews, Volume 10 Number 11 March 2013.

July 2013: Michigan Human Factors Engineering Short Course , Designing Systems, Products and Services to Make them Easier, Safer, and More Effective for Human Use, 2013, Week 1: July 22 – 27 (Mon.–Sat.) Week 2: July 29 –August 2
isd.engin.umich.edu

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Call for Submissions: The 1st International Materials, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering Conference (MIMEC2013), Full papers July 4th, 2013.

We welcome your input to the Applied Ergonomics International NEWS. Please send us interesting news, short articles, interesting websites, etc. We will consider your comments and contributions for upcoming issues. Please send your contributions to the editor Dr. Abbas Moallem .

The Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics International NEWS is a newsletter about Ergonomics and Human Factors topics, the Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics International 2014 conference deadlines and activities, the Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics International 2014 Exhibition, news in the area of Ergonomics and Human Factors, and more. If you have any questions or comments, or if you would like to contribute, please contact the editor, Dr. Abbas Moallem (abbas.moallem@sjsu.edu). The opinions that are expressed in this Newsletter are the sole responsibility of its authors and do not represent any institution or company.

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