Human factors in complex trauma

Abstract

### Key points Human factors are now integrated into everyday anaesthetic practice, as a result of the work performed over a decade ago looking at anaesthetists non-technical skills (ANTS).1 Much of this work was performed after key publications in the USA2 and the UK3 highlighting that human error and system design was responsible for patient harm. Subsequent high profile cases relevant to anaesthesia4,5 have brought to light where human factors failures have led to patient death. In 2010, the Royal College of Anaesthetists dedicated the entire Anniversary Meeting to Human Factors and published a supplement to the British Journal of Anaesthesia . Some of the human factors related to the trauma team are listed in Table 1. View this table: Table 1 Typical human factors relevant to the trauma team The 2007 report ‘Trauma: Who Cares?’6 highlighted the deficiencies in the delivery of trauma care in the UK, some of which resulted from failures in decision-making, communication, and team-work. Following on from this report, there has been the development of trauma centre networks around the country and a perceived improvement in trauma care delivery. The UK Defence Medical Services (UK-DMS) have attributed much of the success of their trauma care in Afghanistan to exemplary human factors,7 particularly in the organization, briefing, and co-ordination of the trauma team.8 This article will focus on a typical complex civilian trauma …