The Washington, DC Chapter of the Usability Professionals' Association

the washington dc chapter of the usability professionals' association



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How to Prevent Human Error: Usability and the Artichoke

Date and time:
January 18, 2006 (Wednesday)
7:00-9:00 p.m. Program
Dinner: 6:00-7:00 p.m. at La Madeleine for those who would like to join us (directions below)

Location:
Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center
4805 Edgemoor Lane
Bethesda, MD 20814

Description:
Why do errors happen? Is it possible to prevent them? In complex settings such as aviation or the medical field, errors can be deadly. A report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in 1999 estimated that there are 44,000 to 98,000 hospitalized patient deaths per year attributed to medical error.

Unfortunately, it is often the individual associated with the error who is presumed to be responsible, and error reduction activities (including punishment, blame, or training) are focused on that individual. Centuries of empirical literature in the physical and social sciences, as well as millennia of philosophical writings, indicate that behavior (be it by a particle or a human) is a function of that entity interacting with its context. In other words, the causes of an error or incident cannot be understood without the context in which it occurred. Thus, the typical approach of blaming the care provider as the sole source of error is incomplete, hence misleading.

In a hospital, for example, errors may occur due to a combination of several forces, including poorly designed technology, cultural factors, and various preceding events. There might be an incompatibility of the instruments with the hand size of the surgeon; a problem with the physical layout of equipment in the operating room (for example, a need to move a monitor so that the monitor's angle does not distort the data); or a confusion among look-alike drug names, which leads to an incorrect prescription. Usability and human factors professionals already know that design can reduce the potential for error for a specific product. However, to effectively improve human performance and reduce the risk of error, it is necessary to consider more than just the product: it is necessary to identify the contextual factors that affect its use.

This presentation describes a means to address such factors. It presents the “Artichoke model,” a practical framework and worksheet for diagnosing the factors that contribute to error, which has been used successfully in the medical field. Real-world examples of factors that induce error, and the application of the Artichoke model to the use of a product, will be discussed.

This meeting is jointly sponsored by UPA-DC and HFES-Potomac (Human Factors and Ergonomics Society).

Speaker:
Dr. Bogner is President and Chief Scientist of the Institute for the Study of Human Error, LLC. Her active consulting practice includes research, expert testimony, incident investigations, and the development of Continuing Medical Education (CME) material.

She is the editorial advisor to the patient safety series of articles for AAMI’s journal Biomedical Instrumentation and Technology, is on the editorial board of the journal Human Factors and a reviewer for 11 other journals including Medical Care, the Journal of the American Medical Association, and Applied Ergonomics.

Dr. Bogner edits a book series on human error and safety, and one on patient safety for Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. She has also edited two books, Human Error in Medicine (1994) and Misadventures in Health Care: Inside Stories (2004). The second edition of Human Error in Medicine will be published by Erlbaum in 2006/2007.

Prior to her current position, Dr. Bogner was a senior human factors specialist with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), where she addressed human factors issues in medical device use errors. She has also worked as a research psychologist with the Army Research Institute (ARI) on the MANPRINT program to improve the ease of use and safety of Army equipment. Dr. Bogner is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, and the Washington Academy of Sciences. She holds a B.S. in Psychology and Mathematics and a Ph.D. in Psychology (Gestalt).

Registration:
Advance registration is recommended. You can register using our online registration form.

After you have registered, we encourage you to pay in advance by using our online PayPal form or mailing a check.

Cost:
$5 for UPA DC Metro Chapter members
$10 for non-members

Directions to the Program:
The Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center is located at 4805 Edgemoor Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814. The Center is in the two-story County office building on the plaza level of the Metropolitan complex, above a County parking garage.
View the MapQuest Map

By Car:
The entrance to the parking garage is marked with a large blue Bethesda Center parking sign. Parking is available in the garage - $.75 per hour short-term (3 hours or less), $.50 per hour for over 3 hours. If you are coming south on Old Georgetown Road (from the Beltway use exit 36), turn right on Woodmont Avenue and the parking entrance is almost immediately on your left (second driveway). If you are coming south on Wisconsin Avenue/Rockville Pike, turn right onto Woodmont Avenue, go south for approximately one mile, cross Old Georgetown Road, and the parking garage entrance is the second driveway on your left. If you are coming north on Wisconsin or west on Rt. 410, take Old Georgetown Road north, turn left at the second traffic light (Woodmont Ave.) and the garage entrance will be on your left (it's the second driveway). Take the elevators from the parking garage to the plaza level (P). The building is located at the center of the plaza. County and American flags and a sign bearing the County seal mark the entrance to the building.

By Metro, Bus or on Foot:
The building is located across the street from the Bethesda Metro station. From the Bethesda Metro Station, take the escalator from the bus bay to the plaza level, turn left, walk past the clock tower and across to the Metropolitan plaza using the pedestrian bridge. If you are walking from any other location, the Center's street entrance is at 4605 Edgemoor Lane (corner of Old Georgetown and Edgemoor) and is marked with County and American flags. Take the elevator to level 2 for meeting rooms.

Directions to Dinner:
La Madeleine is located at 7607 Old Georgetown Rd, Bethesda, MD 20814. The restaurant is a short walk from the Bethesda metro stop.
View the MapQuest Map

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