The Intersection of Human Factors and Evidence-Based Healthcare Design

Background: The work of Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE) engineers and healthcare architects may overlap when it comes to designing the physical environments of healthcare facilities. Both disciplines are tasked with improving healthcare efficiency, promoting experience and safety, and reducing medical errors. Both disciplines adopt evidence-based and human-centered approaches in the design and evaluation of their work. However, it remains unclear to healthcare design professionals why, when, and how to incorporate HFE engineers’ expertise into the architectural design project. Objectives: This opinion paper aims to reintroduce HFE to healthcare design by revisiting the core concepts, comparing essential approaches, and explaining the benefits of integrating HFE expertise into the evidence-based design (EBD) of healthcare projects. Methods: Literature review and case studies have demonstrated that simulation and mock-ups, as effective tools, should be integrated into the design and prototyping phases; therefore, they provide feedback to adjust the design concepts and inform design decisions with the engagement of HFE perspectives. Results: A conceptual framework for the HFE-integrated EBD process was proposed to facilitate the evaluation and improvement studies for healthcare design.