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Comparative usability of modern anaesthesia ventilators: a human factors study
J Spaeth1,2, T Schweizer3, A Schmutz1,2
1Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Hugstetter Strasse 55, 79106 Freiburg, Germany.
British Journal of Anaesthesia
|October 14, 2017
Summary
Modern anesthesia ventilators have varying usability. The Perseus ventilator demonstrated superior ease of use and efficiency, suggesting interface improvements can enhance patient safety.
Area of Science:
- Anesthesiology
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Medical Device Usability Engineering
Background:
- Anesthesia ventilators are critical for intraoperative respiratory care.
- Improper operation poses risks to patient safety.
- Self-explanatory user interfaces reduce operating errors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically evaluate the usability of user interfaces in four modern anesthesia ventilators.
- To identify specific interface issues impacting operator performance.
- To compare usability across different anesthesia ventilator models.
Main Methods:
- Twenty naïve operators performed 20 tasks on four ventilators (Avance CS2, Flow-i, Perseus, Primus) in a randomized order.
- Task success, assistance requests, and processing times were recorded.
- Eye-tracking and a standardized usability questionnaire assessed operator performance and subjective experience.
Main Results:
- The Perseus ventilator showed the lowest assistance requests and shortest pooled processing times.
- Eye-tracking identified interface issues hindering operator performance.
- Perseus rated highest for usability (67 AU), Flow-i rated lowest (50 AU).
Conclusions:
- Significant differences in anesthesia ventilator usability exist.
- Specific interface design flaws negatively impact operator efficiency and potentially patient safety.
- Addressing usability issues is crucial for improving performance and enhancing patient safety.
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