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Abstract

Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) can be used in hospitals to facilitate early defibrillation. We sought to find the features of a hospital AED that would be the most usable and thus provide straightforward and easily accessible resuscitation. Three different vendor AEDs were evaluated in a three-part human factors evaluation employing heuristic analysis, user testing, and failure modes and effects analysis. Through each analysis we identified the critical AED features of interest for in-hospital use. The highest-rated features were compiled and interpreted to determine the best AED features for in-hospital use. It is necessary to consider all aspects of medical device design in a practical sense to ensure the overall safety and efficacy of the device. Training may address some aspects of poor design, but cannot address unanticipated usability issues. Additionally, issues arising due to infrequent use of equipment can be evaluated using the training and evaluation methods employed in this study.

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Human Factors Evaluation of Automatic External Defribillators in a Hospital Setting

Abstract

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