Considering 8 ‘Human Factors’ in the Design of Medical Devices

“Human factors engineering” refers to exactly what it sounds like. It’s a term that defines the act of targeting design for people who are the intended users of a product, and it’s widely used across the medical industry, in which it’s crucial for devices and systems to consider the wellbeing and comfort of the patients being treated.

Gareth Walker, a human factors specialist at medical device developer and manufacturer Owen Mumford, has come up with eight key tips for how human factors engineering can understand the audience for specific products and therefore create products that can offer both the appropriate capability and user-friendliness for those that will use them.

MORE FROM DESIGN NEWS: Consider Human Factors Early in the Product Design Cycle

The state-of-the-art test lab at medical device developer and manufacturer Owen Mumford analyzes its prototypes to ensure new innovations perform as expected as part of what’s called “human factors engineering.”
(Source: Owen Mumford)

These tips are the following:

You can read more about Walker’s advice for successful human factors engineering in an article on our sister site, MDDI.

Elizabeth Montalbano is a freelance writer who has written about technology and culture for more than 15 years. She has lived and worked as a professional journalist in Phoenix, San Francisco, and New York City. In her free time she enjoys surfing, traveling, music, yoga, and cooking. She currently resides in a village on the southwest coast of Portugal.