This book is unique in providing a comprehensive overview of the human factors issues relevant to patient safety during acute care. By elucidating the principles of human behavior and decision-making in critical situations and identifying frequent sources of human error, it will help healthcare professionals provide safer, more effective treatment when dealing with emergencies characterized by uncertainty, high stakes, time pressure, and stress. The third edition has emerged from an ongoin...

Critical situations in acute and emergency care are one of the great clinical challenges because of the uncertainty, high stakes, time pressure, and stress that are involved. This book provides a comprehensive outline of all the human factors issues relevant to patient safety during acute care. Following an initial section discussing the basic principles of human behavior and decision making, the various influences on safe patient care are discussed in depth. These are divided into three i...