Crisis management and human factors

This first chapter explains how human factors affect the management of crises. The roles human factors play in the management of emergencies and crisis situations are becoming increasingly recognized in healthcare, having gained political momentum following a concordat from the National Quality Board in 2013. A framework is presented for emergency preparation, including standard operating procedures, checklists, allocation of roles, preparing equipment and drugs, sharing mental models, and communicating with support specialists. During the incident the focus is on situational awareness, leadership and teamwork, communication, and decision-making. Post-event debriefing is discussed with the joint goals of addressing psychological stress and learning for the future. Also provided are links to available up-to-date best-practice guidelines and useful resources for further reading.