Scholarly record

COGNITIVE WORKLOAD EVALUATION IN SURGICAL PRACTICE

J. Bartnicka

Abstract

Cognitive ergonomics is considered with mental processes, such as perception, memory, reasoning, and motor response, as they affect interactions among humans and other elements of a system. The development of cognitive ergonomics discipline is a result of rapid technological advances, especially in the field where a machine is considered rather as an agent with which the human should cooperate than an assistant to the human operator. The increased complexity of technical means contributes the addition of information, system functionality and decision options resulting in an increased degree of sensory input and cognitive workload required by the workers. An example of working environment with processes that are performed with the use of complex and modern technical resources is operating room in which the surgical procedures are carried out. Particularly, the technologically new surgical equipment is the consequence of implementing alternative, to traditional, surgical procedures called minimally invasive surgery (MIS). Here the traditionally tools for open techniques are being replaced by MIS equipment. Taking this issue as a research background, the objective of this paper is to recognize problem of cognitive overload risk when using new and technologically advanced surgical equipment of MIS treatment. There were two methods implemented in the research. First method was direct observation and/or video registration of using MIS tools. Second method was an evaluation form for recognition of cognitive critical incidents. Based on this form, the in-depth analysis of cognitive overload within selected surgical procedures was performed. As a result, the certain risk factors included in four groups of cognitive overload were revealed. These groups are: (1) visual difficulties of operator; (2) manual difficulties within using MIS equipment; (3) loss of control in use of MIS equipment; (4) conflicts/collisions with other people or other medical equipment. The conclusions contain the description of cognitive ergonomics challenges that give the general framework for creating the cognitive centered design process.

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DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/sgemsocial2017/33/S12.016

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