Du et al 2019 Scoping Review of ambulance design and EMS Equipment ACCEPTED version.pdf (367.58 kB)
Existing science on human factors and ergonomics in the design of ambulances and EMS equipment
journal contribution
posted on 2019-01-21, 14:16 authored by Bronson Du, Michelle Boileau, Kayla Wierts, Sue HignettSue Hignett, Steven Fischer, Amin YazdaniBackground: Emergency medical services (EMS) personnel face a disproportionally high risk for
fatality and injury due to the nature of their work; and current ambulance and EMS equipment
design standards do not adequately safeguard EMS personnel from sacrificing personal safety
for patient care, a known human factors and ergonomic (HFE) design challenge. Despite the
desire to include HFE interventions or considerations into a standard, the effectiveness of
existing HFE interventions for EMS is unclear. Objective: Therefore, this study aimed to
synthesize the peer-reviewed literature on the design features of patient compartments and
EMS equipment that affect EMS personnel’s performance or well-being. Methods: A scoping
review methodology was applied to systematically search and screen for relevant articles, and
extract data. Three databases (EmBase, Scopus and PubMed) were searched, and search results
were screened for articles that pertained to the performance or well-being of EMS personnel
when interacting with the patient compartment or its associated equipment. Results and
Discussion: Of the 4125 search results, 48 relevant articles were retained, and then sorted into
one of three categories: general design, patient handling, and patient transport. It was
concluded that, although research has progressed over the past 15 years, more research,
development, and resources are needed. Newer generations of ambulances have not been
shown to be safer during collisions and there is a knowledge gap in how occupants and
contents of a patient compartment behave during a collision. Crash-tests have been performed
with restrained occupants and supplies, however, that scenario is unrealistic in the field. While
the existing literature provided initial ideas and innovations for improving the HFE of patient handling and patient transport, it is important for future research to convey findings in a
manner that can be used to inform design standards.
Funding
This work was supported by the Canadian Safety and Security Program under Grant CSSP-2016-CP-2285.
History
School
- Design
Published in
Prehospital Emergency CareVolume
23Issue
5Pages
631 - 646Citation
DU, B. ... et al., 2019. Existing science on human factors and ergonomics in the design of ambulances and EMS equipment. Prehospital Emergency Care, 23 (5), pp.631-646Publisher
Taylor & FrancisVersion
- AM (Accepted Manuscript)
Publisher statement
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Prehospital Emergency Care on 2019-02-20, available online: https://doi.org/10.1080/10903127.2019.1568651Acceptance date
2019-01-10Publication date
2019-02-20Copyright date
2019ISSN
1090-3127eISSN
1545-0066Publisher version
Language
- en