Human Factors and Patient Safety

Human Factors at TSCSC

Human Factors is an integral part of the work that the TSCSC team do at NUH. We work with multidisciplinary teams across all areas of the hospital; both clinical and non-clinical, to collaborate on projects for system improvements that lead to better safety and experience for patients and staff.

We use systems thinking to support the development of new and better ways of working, better design within healthcare and support the overall goal of the trust in delivering safe and quality care.

Our overarching goal is to improve the quality of care for patients through providing education and expertise in patient safety and ergonomics/ human factors.

What is HF?

Human Factors is a scientific discipline which uses systems thinking and design to improve the safety, performance and wellbeing of staff and patients within healthcare. We don’t try to change people’s behaviour, we look to understand the system of work including the organisation, environment, equipment and technology and people so that we can understand where and how the system can be improved to fit the needs of the people within it.

Understanding how the system works is vital in influencing performance and fundamental to identifying how we can improve to make care safer.