The Healthcare Human Factors Leaning and Innovation Lab (HF-NET) is a collaboration between USC’s Centre for Human Factors and Sociotechnical Systems and the Healthcare Improvement Unit from Clinical Excellence Queensland. The purpose of this lab is to raise the awareness and application of human factors science throughout the healthcare setting.
Specifically, HF-NET lab aims to uplift Queensland Health’s workforce capability in contemporary systems Human Factors and Ergonomics and safety analysis methods. Additionally, this lab will seek to foster the application and system-wide engagement of human factors science principles in healthcare initiatives and strategic decision making. HF-NET is one arm of the CEQx Bridge Lab program which is catalysing deeper linkages with key academic teams in Queensland. CEQx is Clinical Excellence Queensland’s capability transformation function.
As part of the collaboration, the Systems and Safety Analysis Capability Improvement Project will provide training in contemporary human factors and safety analysis methods to Queensland Health employees. Concurrently, the research team will deliver webinars on human factors topics relevant to healthcare, facilitate a support network forum, and provide subject matter expert support.
If you work within Queensland Health and would like to learn about human factors science in healthcare, especially systems and safety analysis methods, email bridgelabs@health.qld.gov.au.
Please see below for profiles on the key HF-NET team members.
Professor Paul Salmon is the director of the Centre for Human Factors and Sociotechnical Systems at the University of the Sunshine Coast. Paul has almost 20 years’ experience of applied Human Factors research in areas such as road and rail safety, aviation, defence, sport and outdoor recreation, healthcare, workplace safety, and cybersecurity. This research has focused on understanding and optimizing human, team, organisational and system performance through the application of Human Factors theory and methods. Paul’s work has been recognized through various accolades, including the Chartered Institute for Ergonomics and Human Factor’s 2019 William Floyd award and 2008 Presidents Medal, the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Australia’s 2017 Cumming memorial medal, and the International Ergonomics Association’s 2018 research impacting practice award.
Dr Satyan Chari has a PhD in patient safety (fall prevention) from Monash University. Towards the end of his PhD, Satyan undertook an international fellowship across two world leading centres: as a visiting research scientist at the Health Systems Engineering Institute (Northeastern University) and as an international human factors fellow with the Medstar Institute for Innovation. Satyan is the Program Director of the Clinical Excellence Queensland Bridge Lab Program (which includes HF-NET) and senior faculty on the Healthcare Improvement Fellowship Program.
Dr Gemma Read is a Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for Human Factors and Sociotechnical Systems at USC. She has a PhD in human factors from Monash University and has worked in the field of human factors since 2006 in both academic and government roles. More information about Gemma and her research is available on her USC profile.
Dr Adam Hulme is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Human Factors and Sociotechnical Systems at the University of the Sunshine Coast. His main areas of expertise and interest include the application of methods and approaches that are grounded in systems theory to enhance the health and safety of workers in complex sociotechnical systems. Adam’s current position involves the development of a new theory and methodological toolkit to support next generation risk assessment and accident analysis in a diverse range of safety-critical work systems. These systems include nuclear power, maritime, transportation (e.g., road, rail, aviation, maritime), the manufacturing industry, engineering, healthcare, sport, and urban systems.
Centre for Human Factors and Sociotechnical Systems 