The History of Human Factors in Healthcare: From Its Emergence 50 Years Ago to COVID-19

Abstract

Advances in medical technologies and training have been met by universal challenges in safety, efficiency, and effectiveness. The drastic growth and variegation of Healthcare as a field demands greater optimization of medical resources by Human Factors professionals. This study aimed to qualitatively evaluate the entire field of Medical Human Factors since its inception, comprising 1,251 articles across two discipline-specific conferences through keywords related to Healthcare. We analyzed trends in the Human Factors and Ergonomics Proceedings (HFES) from 1974 to 2020 and in the Proceedings of the International Symposium on Human Factors in Health Care (HCS) from 2013 to 2020. Results were tabulated, analyzed, and graphed based on their authorial affiliations, funding agencies, countries of research, as well as general content areas and more specific domains over time. Our analyses indicated that Healthcare research has grown exponentially in the past five decades, with 75% of relevant proceedings papers produced since 2010. Gaps in Healthcare literature, directions for future research, and emerging issues related to technologies and training are discussed as well.