Applying human factors design principles for improving the development and deployment of paramedic response bags

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Because the discipline of paramedicine is relatively new, much of how paramedics operate is still based on practices inherited from hospital settings. Unfortunately those practices have not always been modified to accommodate the unique environment in which paramedics work, with consequences that can ultimately affect the health and safety of both paramedics and their patients. Firetech Manufacturing of Langley, BC custom fabricates highly durable emergency and trauma bags for paramedics across North America. The actual designing of its bags is customer driven, however, with the result that the best possible products are not always acquired. In addition to being very bulky, presently used response bags are neither compartmentalised nor clearly labelled, thus impeding rapid access to equipment and leading to potential confusion among drugs and fluids. This can result in significant harm to patients whenever medications are selected inaccurately. To minimise such errors, especially when operating under extreme time pressure, the working environment must be consistent and well organised. The goal of the proposed project is to study current paramedic practices and recommend potential new designs for the paramedic response bags that Firetech manufactures, changes that should ultimately improve patient safety and mitigate potential risk. Using well established human factors design and evaluation techniques, we will study paramedics' behaviours when utilising response bags and use the results of the study to propose novel response bag designs, to improve paramedic accuracy and increase patient safety. The goal of our anticipated long-term relationship with Firetech is to establish a rational R&D methodology, incorporating the diverse needs of paramedic services across North America, for defining the specifications for the response bags that they intend to deploy. This may also lead to the establishment of standards for the industry, something that is presently sorely lacking and which frequently impedes the interchange of personnel and procedures across different EMS organisations.