Course summary

Learn how to become a health systems analyst and use the science of ergonomics to improve patient safety and transform day-to-day working practices. Safety scientists play a major role in preventing unintended harm across many high-consequence industries, improving overall wellbeing and changing the culture of workplaces. Our MSc in Human Factors for Patient Safety will teach you how to design applied solutions for health and social care settings. The course is ideal for existing health professionals – from both clinical and non-clinical backgrounds - who want to specialise in care safety, risk, improvement and system transformation and advisory roles. These highly transferable skills are also relevant to many other sectors. The work could range from the design of job tasks, equipment, care processes and procedures through to better training and clearer communication. You’ll be able to make a real difference to the lives of patients, service users, families, carers and staff. It’s also about creating an organisational environment where staff feel they can speak up about issues of concern. The Masters – which covers nationally recognised professional competencies - is taught by chartered ergonomics experts and lecturers with a wide range of experience in patient safety and system improvement. They include leading figures in safety science, who have worked in fields as diverse as transport and the nuclear industry. You will develop a foundational knowledge of human factors and ergonomics and associated tools, techniques and models. As you build your repertoire, you will be able to apply this to cognitive, physical and organisational elements and interactions within your own workplace. You’ll delve into case studies, incident reports and descriptions of everyday work to see how to design better systems and organisational performance. We’ll also introduce you to different scenarios, filmed using our sector-leading simulation facilities, which really bring topics to life. And you’ll learn about the importance of methods such as dynamic risk assessment and task analysis. The course will also cover ‘walk-through-talk-through’ to identify systems threats and opportunities on the ground. Cognitive risk analysis, for example, could include looking at confusing labels, cluttered signage, trip hazards, badly worded instructions and hard-to-follow procedures. Then there’s how humans interact with technology, including the growing role artificial intelligence is playing in diagnoses and treatment. Ergonomics is about optimising socio-technical interactions at work and finding solutions to problems. Examples could include colour coding drugs packaging to prevent administering the wrong medication to patients. The multidisciplinary course looks at outcomes ‘in the round’. You will consider how to improve safety, quality, efficiency, equity and sustainability in healthcare, recognising the complexity of everyday work. We aim to develop a community of practice for students. As the course is delivered through distance learning, you will be able to share experiences and ideas, contribute to discussion boards, take part in peer reviews and learn about health systems outside of your specialist area. You will also be able to draw on our staff expertise in research. In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework, 100% of our allied health research impact was classed as “very considerable” or “outstanding”. As part of the MSc, you’ll produce your own piece of in-depth research – either a dissertation or an evaluation of a project-based change. As an alternative to the full Masters, students can complete a PGCert in Human Factors for Patient Safety. The PgCert is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors and is mapped against its professional competencies. On successful completion of study, we will issue the following award: MSc Human Factors for Patient Safety