Human Factors Approach to Assess Physician Workload in Elective Plastic Surgery Breast Procedures.

Background: Human factors research involves the study of work system interactions, physician workload, cognitive effort, and performance. This pilot study incorporated a human factor approach and other surgery-based metrics to assess cognitive workload among plastic surgeons during elective plastic surgery breast procedures.

Methods: In this prospective study of plastic surgery breast procedures over a 3-month period, surgeon and patient demographics and procedural details were collected.

Relating clustered noise data to hospital patient satisfaction.

Hospital noise can be problematic for both patients and staff and consistently is rated poorly on national patient satisfaction surveys. A surge of research in the last two decades highlights the challenges of healthcare acoustic environments. However, existing research commonly relies on conventional noise metrics such as equivalent sound pressure level, which may be insufficient to fully characterize the fluctuating and complex nature of the hospital acoustic environments experienced by occupants.

Listening campaigns: engaging clinicians to assess system factors contributing to burnout.

Background: Even prior to the pandemic, many US physicians experienced burnout affecting patient care quality, safety and experience. Institutions often focus on personal resilience instead of system-level issues. Our leaders developed a novel process to identify and prioritise key system-related solutions and work to mitigate factors that negatively impact clinician well-being through a structured listening campaign.

An assessment of information needs and workflows for emergency service providers and caregivers of children with medical complexity.

Background: The goal of Project Austin, an initiative to improve emergency care for rural children who are medically complex (CMC), is to provide an Emergency Information Form (EIF) to their parents/caregivers, to local Emergency Medical Services, and Emergency Departments. EIFs are standard forms recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics that provide pre-planned rapid response instructions, including medical conditions, medications, and care recommendations, for emergency providers. Our objective is to describe the workflows and perceived utility of the provided emergency information forms (EIFs) in the acute medical management of CMC.

Course Design and Learning Outcomes of a Practical Online Ergonomics Course for Surgical Residents.

Objective: Course content was designed and the learning outcomes assessed for an online ergonomics course for surgical residents. This course could fulfill an optional Surgical Council on Resident Education (SCORE) curriculum on Surgical Ergonomics.

Design: The online course included five 5-minute modules within the residents' learning system, each ending with an ungraded knowledge question, and a final 5-question multiple-choice retention quiz that allowed infinite attempts.