System changes to improve patient safety

The automated teller machine that dispenses cash and other banking transactions has become ubiquitous in many parts of the world. Most machines follow one of two sequences to complete a transaction. Some dispense the money first and then return the card. Others reverse these two steps. Since the aim of the transaction is to obtain the money, common sense and research in human factors predict that the person using the machine is more likely to forget the card if it is returned after the money is dispensed.1 The order is designed into the system and produces a predictable risk of error.

Researchers have documented the extent of errors and their effect on patient safety. 2 3 Like the card forgotten at the automated teller machine, many of the adverse events resulted from an error made by a person who was capable of performing the task safely, had done so many times in the past, and faced significant personal consequences for the error. Although we cannot change the aspects of human cognition that cause us to err, we can design systems that reduce error and make them safer for patients.4 My aim here is to outline an approach to designing safe systems of care based on the work of human factors experts and reliability engineers.