To Computerised Provider Order Entry system: A comparison of ECF, HFACS, STAMP and AcciMap approaches

Abstract

Different accident analytical approaches have been utilised in safety-critical industries for analysing accidents and formulating safety recommendations. This study presents a ‘health informatics’ case incident of a patient adversely affected due to a medication dosing error resulting from a combination of contributing factors including those relating to the Computerised Order Provider Entry System. A comparative study was carried out using selected accident analytical approaches: Human Factors and Classification System, System-Theoretic Accident Modelling and Processes and Accident Modelling. Each resulting output was compared using the model characteristic criteria developed by Underwood and Waterson. Safety recommendations developed based on the outputs from the models/methods were also compared for any similar findings. It was acknowledged that while accident models incorporating ‘systems thinking’ can prove to be beneficial for healthcare in providing insight on systemic factors, there is a need for improving the reliability and validity of these models. This particularly applies to Rasmussen’s Accident Modelling approach to be considered useful in the healthcare domain.