The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in patient care can offer significant benefits. However, there is a lack of independent evaluation considering AI in use. The paper argues that consideration should be given to how AI will be incorporated into clinical processes and services. Human factors challenges that are likely to arise at this level include cognitive aspects (automation bias and human performance), handover and communication between clinicians and AI systems, situation awareness and the impact on the interaction with patients. Human factors research should accompany the development of AI from the outset.

Systems contradictions present challenges that need to be effectively managed, e.g. due to conflicting rules and advice, goal conflicts, and mismatches between demand and capacity. We apply FRAM (Functional Resonance Analysis Method) to intravenous infusion practices in an intensive care unit (ICU) to explore how tensions and contradictions are managed by people. A multi-disciplinary team including individuals from nursing, medical, pharmacy, safety, IT and human factors backgrounds contributed to this analysis. A FRAM model investigation resulting in seven functional areas are described. A tabular analysis highlights significant areas of performance variability, e.g. administering medication before a prescription, prioritising drugs, different degrees of double checking and using sites showing early signs of infection for intravenous access. Our FRAM analysis has been non-normative: performance variability is not necessarily wanted or unwanted, it is merely necessary where system contradictions cannot be easily resolved and so adaptive capacity is required to cope.

Tiger snake envenoming causes VICC, systemic symptoms, neurotoxicity and myotoxicity. One vial of TSAV, the dose originally recommended when the antivenom was first made available, appears to be sufficient to bind all circulating venom.

This study looks at the changing patterns of medical education in 45 m edical schools in Canada, Australia and the U nited K ingdom. It exam ines the extent to which the underg raduate curricula in the above three countries have changed, and the direction of that change. It looks at the teaching and assessm ent methods used, and the development of teacher training. F inally it gathers innovative teaching ideas from the various participating fam ily m edicine departm ents.The results show, that in response to changing patterns of health and social trends, m edical education is g radually moving to a m ore lear ner-centred, com m unity-orientated form at.There is a m ove towards problem-and system-based teaching, horizontal and vertical integ ration in m any new curricula. G eneral practice is gaining a higher pro® le in underg raduate teaching, but it is often still under-resourced. M any of the fam ily m edicine departm ents provide high quality faculty training and stim ulating program s for students, based in the com munity.

Outreach surgical consulting provides surgeons with a larger referral base and provides communities with better access to local specialists. Outreach practice should be encouraged for surgeons in regional centres.