Commissioning Clinical Spaces During a Pandemic: Merging Methodologies of Human Factors and Simulation.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Operations
• Human Factors Engineering
• Patient Safety

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated rapid healthcare system adaptation.
• Interdisciplinary collaboration between human factors and simulation teams offered a novel approach to space evaluation.
• Timely commissioning of clinical spaces was critical during the pandemic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the value of tabletop and simulation techniques in clinical space commissioning.
• To identify high-risk, high-impact outcomes and provide organizational recommendations.
• To generalize lessons learned for other health organizations during outbreaks.

Main Methods:

• Human factors and simulation teams conducted a pre-occupancy evaluation of a new clinical space.
• An adapted tabletop exercise was performed to define processes and risks.
• A subsequent systems integration simulation tested identified risks in the physical space.

Main Results:

• Proactive identification of high-risk, high-impact outcomes through combined methodologies.
• Validation of existing processes and refinement of potential solutions for the new space.
• Effective information sharing, debriefing, and adaptation of methods based on emergent findings.

Conclusions:

• Combined human factors science and systems simulation are valuable tools for healthcare commissioning.
• These methodologies aid in identifying critical risks affecting staff and organizational preparedness.
• Application of these techniques enhances safety and readiness in new clinical environments.