A new framework for optimisation and effectiveness of service operations approaches to reduce human errors in healthcare

Human errors in healthcare socio-technical systems can be a serious threat to patient safety. This study provides an integrated and systematic framework for assessing and optimising service operations approaches (SOA) that are effective in human errors reduction. For this, a pilot study was used to test the combination of three methods for a complete process to help identify ways to improve exposure to human error by selecting an optimal strategy. Based on experts' opinions, we performed a risk assessment using failure modes and effects analysis for each human error and a risk priority number (RPN) was assigned for each failure mode. Next, a house of quality approach was applied to identify the impact that different SOAs may have on improving human errors in healthcare.