title: Graphical user interface simplifies infusion pump programming and enhances the ability to detect pump-related faults.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Drug administration errors are frequent and are often associated with the misuse of IV infusion pumps. One source of these errors may be the infusion pump's user interface.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used failure modes-and-effects analyses to identify programming errors and to guide the design of a new syringe pump user interface. We designed the new user interface to clearly show the pump's operating state simultaneously in more than 1 monitoring location. We evaluated anesthesia residents in laboratory and simulated environments on programming accuracy and error detection between the new user interface and the user interface of a commercially available infusion pump.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With the new user interface, we observed the number of programming errors reduced by 81%, the number of keystrokes per task reduced from 9.2 ± 5.0 to 7.5 ± 5.5 (mean ± SD), the time required per task reduced from 18.1 ± 14.1 seconds to 10.9 ± 9.5 seconds and significantly less perceived workload. Residents detected 38 of 70 (54%) of the events with the new user interface and 37 of 70 (53%) with the existing user interface, despite no experience with the new user interface and extensive experience with the existing interface.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The number of programming errors and workload were reduced partly because it took less time and fewer keystrokes to program the pump when using the new user interface. Despite minimal training, residents quickly identified preexisting infusion pump problems with the new user interface. Intuitive and easy-to-program infusion pump interfaces may reduce drug administration errors and infusion pump-related adverse events.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA. Noah.Syroid@hsc.utah.edu
authors.forename: Noah
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Syroid
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Albert
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Agutter
authors.forename: Talmage D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Egan
authors.forename: Nathan L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Pace
authors.forename: Ken B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Dowdle
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pulsipher
authors.forename: Dwayne R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Westenskow
mesh_terms: D003196:Computer Graphics / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000592:standards; D004868:Equipment Failure; D006801:Humans; D007260:Infusion Pumps / Q000592:standards; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D012984:Software / Q000592:standards; D014584:User-Computer Interface