Prisma Health and Clemson University launch the Center for Human Factors in Health Care

Prisma Health and Clemson University have launched a significant research partnership in Human Factors in Health Care. Human factors engineering (HFE) is the scientific discipline that measures and improves the interactions between humans and the systems we use.

Prisma’s Center for Human Factors in Health Care will partner with Clemson scholars to research the human element of medical care, where systems include the clinicians, the work they do and the tools and technologies they use to accomplish tasks. The research will contribute to improving safety, efficiency, outcomes and the overall experience for both patients and health care workers.

Clemson University’s strategic plan aims to transform lives through ambitious health-related scholarship, benefiting South Carolina and beyond with measurable health and economic development. The Center for Human Factors in Health Care leads innovative research and collaboration among faculty dedicated to health research.

ROBERT H. JONES, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS AND PROVOST

Human factors tools can be used to study health care operations with the goal of designing systems that better fit human capabilities, reduce process errors and improve the usability of health care tools. And, when introducing new technologies, the research will identify ways to safely integrate them into existing workflows. Earlier this year, six teams of researchers and health care providers received grant funding to improve various hospital systems, from discharging patients to implementing patient mobility programs through human factors research.

Windsor Westbrook Sherrill, Ph.D., Clemson University associate vice president for health research said, “This area of health research is a growing collaboration between Prisma Health and Clemson, and this is a significant investment in faculty expertise for Clemson. Our innovative approach and ongoing cooperation again illustrate what’s possible when academic partners and health systems join forces to solve health care challenges.”

Rob Morgan, M.D., medical director of the Prisma Health Upstate Simulation Center in Greenville, added, “There is work as envisioned versus work as it is performed. Health care simulation provides an ideal laboratory setting for the human factors team, including clinicians, engineers and psychologists, who can test things as simple as medical devices or as complex as workflow processes to see if they perform the same way in a lab setting as they do in the clinical environment. After collecting and analyzing the data, our human factors team can work directly with our providers to make changes to improve the experience of our providers as well as outcomes for our patients.”

Jonathan Gleason, M.D., Prisma Health executive vice president and chief clinical officer, said, “Our focus is the experience of giving and receiving care and we are committed to pursuing new and innovative solutions that will serve our teams and patients well. We are proud to partner with Clemson University and we look forward to witnessing firsthand how human factors research can help transform the state of health in South Carolina.”

About Prisma Health

Prisma Health is a private nonprofit health company and the largest health care organization in South Carolina. The company has 29,309 team members, 18 acute and specialty hospitals, 2,827 licensed beds, 305 practice sites, and more than 5,400 employed and independent clinicians across its clinically integrated inVio Health Network. Along with this innovative network, Prisma Health serves almost 1.5 million unique patients annually in its 21-county market area that covers 50% of South Carolina. Connect with Prisma Health on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and  Twitter/X. Visit www.PrismaHealth.org.

About Clemson University

One of the most productive public research universities in the nation, Clemson University attracts and powerfully unites students and faculty whose greatest desire is to make a difference in the lives of others. Ranked among the best national public universities, Clemson is dedicated to teaching, research and service. Our main campus, located in Upstate South Carolina, sits on 1,400 acres in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, along the shores of Lake Hartwell. We have a presence in every South Carolina county through research facilities, economic development hubs and Innovation Campuses. Through the research, outreach and entrepreneurial projects led by our faculty and students, Clemson University is driving economic development and improving the quality of life in South Carolina and beyond.