Engineering for Patient Safety

Engineering for Patient Safety: Issues in Minimally Invasive Procedures is a brief study of how human factors engineers have worked with medical personnel to improve patient safety and reduce medical error in the newest minimally invasive surgical procedures. In traditional surgery, surgeons had the advantages of three-dimensional vision and hands-on feedback as a result of direct contact with instruments and tissue. While the new surgical techniques have cost benefits and generally reduce patient trauma and recovery time, a whole new cast of potential problems has been introduced and there are greater risks of medical error. This book features: *an explanation of new technologies to improve minimally invasive procedures, starting with task analysis, problem assessment, instrument design, and evaluation of the new technologies; *examples from laparoscopy, arthroscopy, virtual colonoscopy, and cardiovascular catheter interventions; and *future projects and research fields. This study is of interest to human factors researchers who focus on health care, designers and manufacturers of medical equipment, and surgeons and technicians.