Syllabus

Master of Science in Health Informatics

HIN 730 — Human Factors for System Development — Spring A 2018

Credits - 3

Description

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and the most intricate and sophisticated computer system is only as useful as its users. This course examines computer and non-computer systems from the perspective of their users, exploring ways to improve user interfaces to facilitate effective interactions between human and system, and examining ways of helping to train and educate systems users to ease the stress of learning and adapting to new systems. Students practice combining ergonomics, psychology, sociology, and educational theory with interface design and systems thinking to design human-friendly interfaces and information systems. 

Materials

Required Textbook:

Carayon, P. (Ed.). (2012). Handbook of human factors and ergonomics in health care and patient safety (2nd ed.).  Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. ISBN: 978-1-4398-3033-8

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

Program Outcome addressed by this course:

  • Apply technology and the healthcare quality framework to meet the goals of the triple aim of improving the patient experience of care, improving the health of populations, and reducing the per capita cost of healthcare
  • Analyze, evaluate, and apply the range of tools needed to implement new technology, including identifying, evaluating, selecting, implementing, and upgrading technological systems

Course Outcomes:

Upon the successful completion of HIN 730, students will be able to:

  • Examine human factors as they pertain to health information technology
  • Analyze how usability and human factors are affected by a systems approach
  • Describe human and usability factors that go into system selection and design
  • Explain the cognitive aspects that play a role in human-system interaction
  • Analyze human interaction frameworks (HCI)

Assignments

Please note that all times in the syllabus and in Blackboard refer to Eastern Time. The discussion board and assignment links for each week will open at the start of the week for submissions.

Discussion Board Posts: These assignments will assess your ability to clearly and accurately apply concepts from your readings and from your own experiences. Each week you are expected to submit an initial post and comment on at least 2 other students’ posts. You need to follow APA guidelines for citing any sources you may reference in either your initial post or your response to others. Refer to the Discussion Rubric and discussion question for submission guidelines.

Initial post: You should submit your initial post by 11:59 p.m. Sunday. Your initial post should be approximately 500 words; however, your post may occasionally be outside those parameters as long as you are able to accomplish the goals of the assignment. 500 words should allow you to explore the topic with sufficient detail.

Response to others: You should comment on at least 2 other students’ posts by 11:59 p.m. Wednesday. Your comments to others should be thorough, thoughtful, and they should offer some new content. Do not merely respond with “I agree” or “I disagree.” Engage directly with the ideas of your classmates and briefly mention which part of the post you are responding to.

Key Assignments: The culminating project for this class is a 5 minute Ignite Presentation. The topic for the Ignite Presentation is an analysis of a healthcare technology tool/application. Each week (weeks 2 – 6) you will analyze the technology you have chosen as it relates to that week’s readings. In week 7 you will create your Ignite Presentation about that technology based on your analysis from the previous weeks.

Topic Choice for Final Project: In week 1 you will choose a technology tool or application that you will use as the basis for your weekly writings and final project. The technology you choose can be one that your are already familiar with, or not. However, choosing one you that you have some familiarity with may make things easier for you. Refer to the Topic Selection Rubric and assignment instructions for submission guidelines.

Weekly Assignments: In weeks 2 – 6  you will analyze your chosen technology, based on the weekly reading and write approximately 1.5 – 2 pages each week on the topics. Topics include:

  • Macroergonomics Analysis
  • Human Error Analysis
  • Analysis of Challenges
  • Usability Analysis
  • Safety Problem Analysis

These weekly assignments will provide the content you will draw on to create your Final Project Ignite presentation. Refer to the specific assignment rubric and instructions for submission guidelines.

Final Project Ignite Presentation: In week 7, you will submit an Ignite Presentation about your chosen technology/application. An Ignite Presentation is 5 minutes in length, 20 slides, and 15 seconds of narration per slide. You will submit a screencast of your Ignite presentation, an APA formatted list of references used to create your presentation, and the script you used in your Ignite. You will use the information you compiled in the previous weeks to create your presentation. It is recommended that you review all information provided on Ignite presentations and begin your planning for this assignment early in the term. Refer to Ignite Presentation Rubric and assignment instructions for submission guidelines.

Final Reflection : In week 8 you will take a critical look at what you have learned in this course and write a short reflection paper. Refer to the Final Reflection Rubric and assignment instructions for submission guidelines.

Grading Policy

Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:

Grade Breakdown

Assessment ItemPossible PointsPercent of Total Grade
Discussion Boards (8)32 (4 points per week)32%
Topic Choice for Final Project22%
Weekly Assignments (weeks 2-6)25 (5 points each)25%
Final Project Ignite Presentation3535%
Final Reflection66%
Total100100%

Grade Scale

Grade Points Grade Point Average (GPA)
A 94 – 100% 4.00
A- 90 – 93% 3.75
B+ 87 – 89% 3.50
B 84 – 86% 3.00
B- 80 – 83% 2.75
C+ 77 – 79% 2.50
C 74 – 76% 2.00
C- 70 – 73% 1.75
D 64 – 69% 1.00
F 00 – 63% 0.00

Schedule

Course learning modules are divided into weeks. Each week starts on Wednesday at 12:00 am Eastern Time (ET) and closes on Wednesday at 11:59 pm ET, with the exception of Week 8, which ends on Sunday. All assignments must be submitted by 11:59 pm ET on the due date.

Course Schedule at a Glance

Learning Modules Topics Assignments and Due Dates
Week 1
1/3 – 1/10
Human Factors, Ergonomics, Role of Health IT

Introductory Discussion
Discussion – Initial post by Sunday 1/7, responses by Wednesday 1/10

Topic Choice for Final Project – Wednesday 1/10

Week 2
1/10 – 1/17
Macroergonomics

Discussion – Initial post by Sunday 1/14, responses by Wednesday 1/17

Macroergonomics Analysis – Wednesday 1/17

Week 3
1/17 – 1/24
Human Error and Medical Failure

Discussion – Initial post by Sunday 1/21, responses by Wednesday 1/24

Human Error Analysis Paper – Wednesday 1/24

Week 4
1/24 – 1/31
Human Factors Analysis, Usability, and Human Factors to Consider When Designing/Selecting Discussion – Initial post by Sunday 1/28, responses by Wednesday 1/31

Analysis of Challenges – Wednesday 1/31

Week 5
1/31 – 2/7
User Experience, Usability Discussion – Initial post by Sunday 2/4, responses by Wednesday 2/7

Usability Analysis – Wednesday 2/7

Week 6
2/7 – 2/14
Clinical Decisions, Support Issues, Ubiquitous Computing Issues, Adoption Issues, Patient Safety Events Discussion – Initial post by Sunday 2/11, responses by Wednesday 2/14

Safety Problem Analysis – Wednesday 2/14

Week 7
2/14 – 2/21
Human-Computer Interaction Frameworks (HCI) Discussion – Initial post by Sunday 2/18, responses by Wednesday 2/21

Final Project Ignite Presentation – Wednesday 2/21

Week 8
2/21 – 2/25
Wrap-up and Reflection Discussion – Initial post by Friday 2/23, responses by Sunday 2/25

Final Reflection – Sunday 2/25

Weekly Course Schedule

Week 1 — Human Factors, Ergonomics, Role of Health IT

Learning Outcomes:

  • Examine the importance of human factors and ergonomics in health care
  • Examine the role of health information technology

Course Materials:

Textbook:

  • Chapter 1 – Human Factors and Ergonomics in Health Care and Patient Safety
  • Chapter 2 – Opportunities and Challenges in the Pursuit of Patient Safety

Assignments:

Introductory Discussion: Briefly introduce yourself to your instructor and peers including your background and interests in health informatics. What are you most interested in learning about in this course?

Discussion Question: As you read about HFE this week, what surprised you? What topic did you find most interesting; why do you feel that topic is important? What is the role of Health IT when it comes to HFE and patient safety?

Topic Choice for Final Project: The culminating project for this class is a 5 minute Ignite Presentation. The topic for the Ignite Presentation is an analysis of a healthcare technology tool/application. Each week (weeks 2 – 6) you will analyze the technology you have chosen as it relates to that week’s readings. In week 7 you will create your Ignite Presentation about that technology based on your analysis from the previous weeks.

For this assignment, pick a technology tool or application that you will use as the basis for your weekly writings and final project. The technology you choose can be one that your are already familiar with, or not. However, choosing one you that you have some familiarity with may make things easier for you.

Submit a paragraph (or two) describing your topic. (If you need help coming up with a topic, there are some great ideas in your textbook.) Refer to the Topic Selection Rubric for submission guidelines.

Week 2 — Macroergonomics

Learning Outcomes:

  • Identify technology’s role in macroergonomics and work system design

Course Materials:

  • Textbook: Chapter 4 – Historical Perspective and Overview of Macroergonomics
  • Carayon, P., Karsh, B.-T., Gurses, A. P., Holden, R., Hoonakker, P., Hundt, A. S., … Wetterneck, T. B. (2013). Macroergonomics in healthcare quality and patient safety. Review of Human Factors and Ergonomics, 8(1), 4–54. http://doi.org/10.1177/1557234X13492976

Assignments:

Discussion Question: What is the purpose of Macroregonomics? What role does it play in improving health care and patient safety? How can Macroergonmics be applied to your current (or future) position?

Macroergonomics Analysis: Apply the theory of Macroergonomics to the technology you chose in week 1. In what areas do you think your technology is in line with this theory? In what ways do you think it can be improved and how might someone accomplish that? Submit 1½ to 2 page, APA formatted paper. Refer to Macroergonomics Analysis Rubric for submission guidelines.

Week 3 — Human Error and Medical Failure

Learning Outcomes:

  • Analyze the cognitive impacts that play a role in a user’s ability to interact with technology

Course Materials:

Textbook:

  • Chapter 6 – Error as Behavior and Murphy’s Law: Implications for Human Factors and Ergonomics
  • Chapter 22 – Human Error in Health Care
  • Chapter 23 – Medical Failure Taxonomies

Assignments:

Discussion Question: Looking at the the three approaches to human error described in your text, which perspective do you tend to agree with the most? Why? Think of a situation that has occurred as a result of human error; based on the perspective you chose, why do you think this situation occurred?

Human Error Analysis: Given what you have learned about human error and why it exists, consider how your technology is used and identify potential areas for human error. What processes can be put in place to help reduce the introduction of human error when this technology is used? Submit 1½ to 2 page, APA formatted paper. Refer to Human Error Analysis Rubric for submission guidelines.

Week 4 — Human Factors Analysis, Usability, and Human Factors to Consider When Designing/Selecting

Learning Outcomes:

  • Identify human factors to consider when designing and implementing new technology

Course Materials:

Textbook:

  • Chapter 17 – Human Factors and Ergonomics of Health Information Technology Implementation
  • Chapter 38 – Human Factors Considerations in Health IT Design and Development

Assignments:

Discussion Question: This week’s readings included a number of challenges that we face in health IT related to either human factors or the environment. Pick one of those challenges. Why is it a challenge? How can the challenge be overcome? Are there tools that can help overcome it?

Analysis of Challenges: Evaluate the technology you have chosen based on the challenges discussed in this week’s readings. What challenges has your technology overcome with its design and what challenges do you think still exist? Based on the design tools and processes that you have learned about, what suggestions do you have for overcoming those remaining challenges? Submit 1½ to 2 page, APA formatted paper. Refer to Analysis of Challenges Rubric for submission guidelines.

Week 5 — User Experience, Usability

Learning Outcomes:

  • Examine usability methods that can be used to enhance technology usability
  • Examine what factors play a role in the user experience

Course Materials:

Assignments:

Discussion Question: The user experience plays a critical role in the success of health information technology. Considering the factors that make up the user experience, think of a time that you were interacting with a technology and evaluate your experience. Was your experience a positive one? Why or why not? What factors could you tell were well thought out and what factors could have been improved upon. From a user perspective, why is the user experience so important?

Usability Analysis: What effect does poor usability have on an organization and what effect does good usability have? Evaluate the technology you have chosen using the HIMSS EMR Usability Evaluation Guide. This guide is based on 9 principles of usability for software; this guide can be applied to any tool. Make sure to address all 9 of the essential principles. Submit 1½ to 2 page, APA formatted paper. Refer to Usability Analysis Rubric for submission guidelines.

Week 6 — Clinical Decisions, Support Issues, Ubiquitous Computing Issues, Adoption Issues, Patient Safety Events

Learning Outcomes:

  • Examine adverse outcomes that can occur when usability and human factors are not considered

Course Materials:

Textbook:

  • Chapter 21 – Using Health IT to Improve Health Care and Patient Safety
  • Chapter 19 – Trust In Health Technologies

Assignments:

Discussion Question: Research a safety event that occurred as the result of a poor user interface, system design or usability. Describe the factors that contributed to the event and provide ways, based on what you have learned, on how it could have been prevented.

Safety Problem Analysis: Consider the technology you have chosen. Describe a safety problem that could happen or has happened as a result of not considering user experience, usability, or human factors with that technology. Address topics such as: user adoption, patient safety events, adverse outcomes, loss of productivity. Give examples of tools that might be applied to this technology to help improve these factors. Submit 1½ to 2 page, APA formatted paper. Refer to Safety Problem Analysis Rubric for submission guidelines.

Week 7 — Human-Computer Interaction Frameworks (HCI)

Learning Outcomes:

  • Analyze the role of human-computer interfaces in human error

Course Materials:

Assignments:

Discussion Question: Pick a type of human-computer interface; describe what human errors are typically associated with this interface. Choose at least two design principles that you feel are important to consider with the type of interface you have selected. Talk about why you chose those principles and what benefits their incorporation will have in designing this interface.

Final Project Ignite Presentation: In week 1, you chose a technology tool/application to examine in this course. You compiled a lot of information and analysis about that technology throughout the course. Your final project is an Ignite Presentation about the technology you chose. An Ignite Presentation should be 5 minutes in length, 20 slides, and 15 seconds of narration per slide. Your presentation should include:

  • Analysis and conclusions from your weekly assignments
  • What most surprised you about this technology as you examined it throughout the course?
  • What are the big advantages/disadvantages of this technology?
  • What is the potential for growth or new areas of development/application for this technology?

Refer to course in Blackboard for steps in creating, uploading, and closed captioning your screencast of your presentation. You will submit three items for this assignment:

  • YouTube URL for your Ignite Presentation
  • APA formatted list of references used to create your presentation
  • The script you used in your Ignite

Refer to the Ignite Presentation Rubric for submission guidelines.

Week 8 — Wrap-up and Reflection

Learning Outcomes:

  • Reflect on challenges encountered while creating a presentation in order to improve future performance

Course Materials:

No additional course materials this week.

Assignments:

Discussion Question: In HIN 745 (the practicum class), you will do a live Ignite presentation. The recorded Ignite presentation for this class gave you practice with the format. This discussion is for you to share tips and suggestions for creating an Ignite. Post the URL to your Ignite presentation; please hyperlink the URL so that your classmates’ can easily access the presentation from the discussion board. Then comment on the following: What did you discover about creating an Ignite presentation? What did you find most challenging and how did you address that challenge? Do you have any questions you would like to ask your classmates about strategies they used?

Watch you classmates’ Ignites and read their posts on what they discovered while making their presentations. In your responses, ask your classmates’ questions about their creation process and/or offer tips you discovered that may help them in the future.

Final Reflection: Write a reflection on what you have taken from this course. What did you learn? What did you find surprising? How can you apply information from this course to your current or future employment? Because our ultimate priorities are to provide safe care to our patients and to improve outcomes, please touch on how considering human factors in system development can help with those priorities. Refer to Final Reflection Rubric for submission guidelines.

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