Driving Macroergonomics Home: A Community Ergonomics Conceptualization

Abstract

The proliferation of medical device technology is profound. Hospitals and clinics traditionally “housed” medical technologies and the technological environments (ICUs, ORs, and ERs). Today, medical technologies have transferred into homes (hospice care, home chemotherapy, and WEB TV cardiac rehabilitation). While the goal of macroergonomics is to fully harmonize work systems at both the macro-and microergonomic levels, it fails to address the service interfaces of a community based health care system. The integration of concepts from macroergonomics and community ergonomics is proposed here to help health care professionals deliver quality services to patients and clients. An example of the community ergonomics process, from the home health care perspective, is presented.