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Using human factors principles to redesign a 3D lab workflow during the COVID-19 pandemic
Ethan P Larsen1,2, Elizabeth Silvestro3,4, Daria F Ferro4,5,6,7
1Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3401 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA. larsene@chop.edu.
3D Printing in Medicine
|November 13, 2022
Summary
Optimizing additive manufacturing lab workflows using human factors principles improved project completion rates and reduced review times during pandemic-related shortages. This enhanced efficiency supports point-of-care manufacturing demands.
Area of Science:
- Engineering
- Healthcare Management
- Supply Chain Management
Background:
- Hospitals faced COVID-19 pandemic-related supply chain shortages, overwhelming additive manufacturing lab capacities.
- A need for improved workflow efficiency in additive manufacturing labs was identified to meet demand.
- The Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) construct, based on human factors and quality improvement, guided the analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To understand inefficiencies in the additive manufacturing lab's project submission, review, and acceptance processes.
- To systematically improve lab operations and optimize workflow efficiency.
Main Methods:
- Conducted contextual inquiry, including interviews and workflow analysis, to identify system weaknesses.
- Implemented interventions: enhanced project submission form, internal project scorecard for standardized evaluation, and distributed evaluation responsibilities.
- Compared performance data from February 2018–April 2021 (baseline) to post-intervention data from May 2021 onwards.
Main Results:
- Project completion rates increased from 44% (35/79) to 60% (12/20) after interventions.
- Average time to review new submissions decreased significantly from 58 days to 4 days.
- Distributed team responsibility improved workflow without increasing staff, allowing the Lab Manager to focus on engineering tasks.
Conclusions:
- Optimizing workflows with a human factors approach enhanced the additive manufacturing lab's responsiveness to pandemic-related needs.
- The improved workflow offers valuable insights for labs addressing the increasing demand for point-of-care manufacturing.
