The pandemic magnified human factors and ergonomics issues in healthcare
As we grappled with new ways of working, unfamiliar roles and teams, working under intense pressure in newly configured workplaces and if that wasn’t a big enough challenge – the hindrance to communication, identity, movement and comfort, posed by a lot more PPE.
The relevance of supporting healthcare to create safety, whatever their role, seemed even more pressing.
In July 2020 we breathed a collective sigh of relief as COVID looked as if it would subside for the summer at least. Our Clinical Human Factors Group trustees and clinicians gathered themselves and in the true spirit of commitment, we set about developing our eLearning training modules.
Our clinicians, educationalists, human factors and improvement experts, patient representatives formed our content development panel. The work began…in a true user-centred design process of collaboration, prototyping, and testing.
We filmed ‘Just a Routine Appointment’ with the generous help of Luton and Dunstable Hospital Trust during what turned out to be a short window in the ‘lockdown.’
On a cold December day our film production company and small cast of actors demonstrated outstanding teamwork filming under strict COVID rules, necessitating everyone mucking-in.
We use the film, ‘Just a Routine Appointment’ in both our training modules. Representing a true patient scenario and with characters speaking direct to camera, this proved to be a useful device to enable us to speak to all our learners, no matter what their role.
With the services of an experienced learning and digital development agency our two training modules were launched in March 2021.
If you would like a demonstration or to find out how your organisation can access this training – please
email: info@chfg.org
Jo Simmons, CHFG Programme Manager May 2021
