Ergonomics - Human Factors (cognitive) Flashcards
1
Q
what is ergonomics
A
- Ergonomics: The study of people’s efficiency in their working environment.
- Cognitive Ergonomics: Cognitive ergonomics is the field of study that focuses on how well the use of a product matches the cognitive capabilities of users.
2
Q
Cognitive overload and the impact of observation in the workplace environment
A
Cognitive Overload is where you are given too much information at once, or too many simultaneous tasks, resulting in not being able to perform or process the information.
3
Q
Effect of cognitive overload- medical sector
A
- Cognitive overload can have an impact on the mental, emotional and physical well-being of healthcare providers.
- It has led to errors and lower quality of care.
- An overloaded nurse or physician becomes an overwhelmed one, who receives too much information at once and cannot focus on a patient’s care tasks.
- The risks on the patient are too high; bad outcomes are just behind the corner.
- Avoiding cognitive overload becomes, therefore, of paramount importance.
4
Q
working memory
A
- Central Executive controls VSSP and the parts of the Phonological loop.
- VSSP- Inner eye
- Phonological loop- Inner ear (phonological store) and voice (articulatory control system)
- These have a limited capacity- How much they can hold.
5
Q
theories of attention
A
- We are bombarded with huge amounts of information all the time – attention is the cognitive process that allows us to select some to concentrate on and reject the rest
- Cherry - cocktail party effect the phenomenon of being able to focus your auditory attention on a particular stimulus while filtering out a range of other stimuli, much the same way that a partygoer can focus on a single conversation in a noisy room.
6
Q
theories of attention
A
- Broadbent (1958) argued that the world is composed of many more sensations than can be handled by the human observer.
- To cope with the flood of available information, humans must selectively attend to only some information and somehow ‘tune out’ the rest.
- His model of attention uses a computer analogy
- BUT other research showed that we can recall information we are not directly focusing on
- And we can “switch” out attention
7
Q
The impact of observation in the workplace
A
- ## Social facilitation- improvements in performance due to presence of other people.
8
Q
key research
A
Drews and Doig (2014) - Evaluation of a configural vital sign display for intensive care unit nurses.
9
Q
intensive care unit and how it may cause cognitive overload
A
- Monitors assess vital health signs
- Usually in Numerical format
Cognitive overload due to : - ICU nurses will be looking after lots of patients, so need to identify quickly if the patient is deteriorating
- Using multiple numerical displays to monitor patient’s vital signs
- Using these to quickly decide on course of action
10
Q
aim of Drews and Doig
A
- Develop an ICU monitoring display that shows vital signs to help detect changes in patients health state. Not just numerical format but the trend to see whether health measurements have gone up or down. Use of colours and shapes to help process information easier.
- Does this new monitoring system actually decrease cognitive overload?
11
Q
sample of Drews and Doig
A
- 42 nurses with at least 1 year’s ICU experience took part.
- 21 interpreted data on a Configural Vital Sign (CVS) display
- 21 did so in the traditional format.
12
Q
research method of Drews and Doig
A
- This was a laboratory experiment in an artificial environment and not in the workplace, for which a CVS display was developed.
- The IV was whether the nurse was asked to interpret data presented in a traditional numerical format or using the CVS display.
- The DV was the response time and accuracy in clinical data interpretation.
13
Q
procedure pt 1
A
- Three clinical scenarios examined if the CVS display supported nurses’ decision making better than the traditional display
1. Scenario relating to early sepsis
2. one to septic shock
3. one to pulmonary embolus - In all three scenarios, the information required to make a correct assessment was available on both displays.
- A fourth scenario represented a stable patient and was included to determine whether the CVS display facilitates more rapid recognition of a “normal” patient. All participants took part in each scenario and were either given the traditional or the CVS display.
14
Q
procedure pt 2
A
- They were randomly assigned to one of two conditions and counterbalancing of the order of the scenarios was used.
- Standardised training was provided that included procedural instructions and explained elements and functionality of the CVS and the control display. Each study lasted around 90 mins.
- Some scenarios were developed to test the hypothesis. They were developed and validated by an ICU physician and an ICU nurse who were not involved in the display design.
15
Q
ppts instructions
A
- Participants were instructed to verbally evaluate:
1. the patient’s physiologic status
2. interpret the data
3. recommend appropriate interventions as quickly and accurately as possible. - Scenario-specific patient information was then provided, followed by clinical information.
- 5 minutes were given to complete each scenario and the vital signs displays were presented on a 15-inch Desktop computer screen.
- A 7 point Likert-type scale questionnaire was then filled out relating to clinical desirability of the CVS display and the realism of the scenarios.
