Night shifts, human factors, and errors in the ICU: A causal pathway?

Preventable medical errors continue to occur despite increased worldwide awareness and resources devoted to improve the safety of health systems. Factors that influence a clinical team’s effectiveness include individual team members’ performance, safety and quality of medical equipment, organization and structure of each ward, patient population, and the underlying institutional culture. Human factors (ergonomics) is the study of human interactions with tools, devices, and systems with the goal of enhancing safety, efficiency, and user satisfaction.