Development of activities to implant and implement a Human Factor Engineering Laboratory in Brazil

• Grant number: 11/06798-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Start date: July 11, 2011
• End date: November 10, 2011
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Biomedical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Saide Jorge Calil
• Grantee: Saide Jorge Calil
• Host Investigator: Anthony C. Easty
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia Elétrica e de Computação (FEEC). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University Health Network (UHN), Canada

Abstract

There is today a worldwide preoccupation to reduce risks during the use of medical equipment. This reduction involves not only the application of methods such as Healthcare Failure Mode Effect Analysis - HFMEA where the risk s identified and quantified but the possibility to design and produce equipment that can optimize and maximize the interaction with its operator. Serious problems can occur in this interaction due to difficulties to understand the equipment operational process. A study field of this interaction is known as Human Factor Engineering. Few countries hold analytical technologies based on Human Factor Engineering and the more advanced laboratories are located at the United States, Canada and England. Though a country of significant production of average complexity but high risk medical equipment, Brazil still do not use such technology in their design nor have laboratories to evaluate their interactions with operators as well as the possibility of causing an adverse event. The purpose of my work is to learn the practical methods used by the Centre for eHealth Innovation located at the Toronto General Hospital in Canada for evaluation of medical equipment using Technologies of Human Factors. Also, to study the material, human and financial infra structures to implant and implement a Human Factor Laboratory in Brazil. (AU)