COVID-19 vaccination systems: Human Factors at the 'sharp end'.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Healthcare System Safety
• Risk Management

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated rapid vaccine rollout.
• Ensuring the safety and efficiency of vaccination programs is critical for public health.
• Human factors play a significant role in the success of large-scale health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the safety and reliability of a COVID-19 vaccination system in Scotland.
• To apply a Human Reliability Analysis (HRA) approach to identify potential risks and areas for improvement.
• To share key learnings for optimizing current and future vaccination program delivery.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Systematic Human Error Reduction and Prediction Approach (SHERPA), a framework for HRA.
• Collected data through document analysis, site observations, and workshops with healthcare professionals.
• Assessed the service delivery system of NHS Ayrshire and Arran (NHSAA).

Main Results:

• NHSAA had already implemented numerous recovery mechanisms and risk control measures.
• Eighteen specific issues were identified that required additional risk control interventions.
• These issues were categorized into three distinct themes, highlighting areas for targeted improvement.

Conclusions:

• The assessment provided valuable insights into the operational safety of the vaccination system.
• Findings were used to enhance current service delivery processes.
• Recommendations offer guidance for the safe design and execution of future time-critical public health vaccination programs.