Message from the Editor-in-Chief

It is my distinct joy and privilege to present our second 2022 issue of Ergonomics in Design, which proves exemplary in terms of its content quality. In particular, I’d like to bring to your attention the fact that, for each of the three investigations presented in this issue, human factors design principles were exceptionally applied at every stage of their work. Use errors, previously known as human error or user error in the human factors literature, emphasize minimizing the user’s blame while using a medical device. In the first manuscript, Smith and Gray present a smart infusion pump design that incorporates usability engineering principles and potential use error safety mitigation strategies. The innovative pump design incorporates guidelines from the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation and the International Electrotechnical Commission to reduce the risk of inadvertently harming the patient during infusion therapy. After testing the infusion pump for usability among both näıve and trained licensed health care professionals, the authors completed a use-related risk analysis on both software and hardware user interfaces. This analysis involved identifying hazards and harms, use scenario testing, task analysis, and potential use errors. The authors also explored and implemented risk control strategies. The final step of human factors validation testing demonstrated that the smart pump could be used safely without adverse use errors for infusion therapy under the expected use conditions. It is no surprise that this manuscript took first place in the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 2019 Stanley Caplan User-Centered Design Competition. The utility of exoskeletons across various industries is well documented in the current ergonomics literature. However, these wearable devices’ user experience and usability in the healthcare industry are not extensively studied. The second manuscript examines Finnish nurses’ experience with exoskeletons during geriatric care. The authors, Turja et al. conducted two studies. One study involved a controlled environment in which two nurses transferred a geriatric patient from a hospital bed into a wheelchair under three experimental conditions: no nurses wearing exoskeletons; one nurse wearing an exoskeleton; and both nurses wearing an exoskeleton. Another study was conducted in a home care environment where two nurses wore the exoskeleton while transferring a patient in and out of a wheelchair and while assisting the patient during eating and toileting. For analyzing the user experience, the authors employed the unified theory of the acceptance and use of technology model and collected data on: perceived usefulness, ease of use, trust toward the device, user satisfaction, and anxiety about exoskeleton use. The study showed the significance of addressing technology acceptance by the end-user (e.g., comfort, fit, and ease of donning and doffing). Interestingly, the authors also reported on the importance of evaluating trust between caregivers and patients while working with exoskeleton technology. The third manuscript reveals the importance of developing locally and culturally relevant pictograms for easy understanding in low-resources settings. Kisaalita and Sempiira conducted their research in Uganda, where farmer illiteracy can be a considerable communications hurdle. They established a five-step pictogram development process in which local artists drew the intended messages to be conveyed, tested them with a sample of target farmers, reengaged a subset to fine-tune the right pictograms, and then retested the revised pictograms with a new subgroup of cohorts. From ideation to iteration to execution, the processes presented in this manuscript are simple, thoughtful, and powerful. It was also most impressive that the authors incorporated best practice guidelines from the International Standards and the American National Standards Institute. While clearly diverse in topic and scope, all three manuscripts in this issue of EID provide excellent examples of how human factors principles should be embedded in every step of a product design. For that, I commend the authors, Smith and Gray, Turja et al., Kisaalita and Sempiira, and all who contributed to these exemplary studies.