Human factors in mental healthcare: A work system analysis of a community-based program for older adults with depression and dementia

Mental healthcare is a critical but largely unexplored application domain for human factors/ergonomics. This paper reports on a work system evaluation of a home-based dementia and depression care program for older adults, the Aging Brain Care program. The Workflow Elements Model was used to guide da...

Ausführliche Beschreibung

Gespeichert in:
Bibliographische Detailangaben
Veröffentlicht in:Applied ergonomics 2017-10, Vol.64, p.27-40
Hauptverfasser: Heiden, Siobhan M., Holden, Richard J., Alder, Catherine A., Bodke, Kunal, Boustani, Malaz
Format: Artikel
Sprache:eng
Schlagworte:
Online-Zugang:Volltext
Tags: Tag hinzufügen
Keine Tags, Fügen Sie den ersten Tag hinzu!
Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:Mental healthcare is a critical but largely unexplored application domain for human factors/ergonomics. This paper reports on a work system evaluation of a home-based dementia and depression care program for older adults, the Aging Brain Care program. The Workflow Elements Model was used to guide data collection and analysis of 59 h of observation, supplemented by key informant input. We identified four actors, 37 artifacts across seven types, ten action categories, and ten outcomes including improved health and safety. Five themes emerged regarding barriers and facilitators to care delivery in the program: the centrality of relationship building; the use of adaptive workarounds; performance of duplicate work; travel and scheduling challenges; and communication-related factors. Findings offer new insight into how mental healthcare services are delivered in a community-based program and key work-related factors shaping program outcomes. •Care coordination staff, informal caregivers, and patients played key work roles.•Actors performed seven categories of action critical to providing coordinated care.•Thirty-seven artifacts supported activity in the clinical program.•Twenty-one system outcomes were observed and included patient care and worker effects.•Program leaders used study findings to guide program improvement and redesign.
ISSN:0003-6870
1872-9126
DOI:10.1016/j.apergo.2017.05.002