Leveraging Health Care Simulation Technology for Human Factors Research: Closing the Gap Between Lab and Bedside.
We describe health care simulation, designed primarily for training, and provide examples of how human factors experts can collaborate with health care professionals and simulationists-experts in the design and implementation of simulation-to use contemporary simulation to improve health care delivery.



The need-and the opportunity-to apply human factors expertise in efforts to achieve improved health outcomes has never been greater. Health care is a complex adaptive system, and simulation is an effective and flexible tool that can be used by human factors experts to better understand and improve individual, team, and system performance within health care.



Expert opinion is presented, based on a panel delivered during the 2014 Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Health Care Symposium.



Diverse simulators, physically or virtually representing humans or human organs, and simulation applications in education, research, and systems analysis that may be of use to human factors experts are presented. Examples of simulation designed to improve individual, team, and system performance are provided, as are applications in computational modeling, research, and lifelong learning.



The adoption or adaptation of current and future training and assessment simulation technologies and facilities provides opportunities for human factors research and engineering, with benefits for health care safety, quality, resilience, and efficiency.



Human factors experts, health care providers, and simulationists can use contemporary simulation equipment and techniques to study and improve health care delivery.
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania edeutsch@ecri.org.
Ellen S
ES
Deutsch
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
Yue
Y
Dong
Stanford University, Palo Alto, California.
Louis P
LP
Halamek
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.
Michael A
MA
Rosen
Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Jeffrey M
JM
Taekman
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaMayo Clinic, Rochester, MinnesotaStanford University, Palo Alto, CaliforniaJohns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MarylandDuke University, Durham, North CarolinaSociety for Simulation in Healthcare, Norfolk, Virginia.
John
J
Rice
D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D006804:Ergonomics; D006801:Humans; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D016544:Patient Simulation
health care; health care quality; patient safety; simulation; systems