Course information and booking
Find out more about the new Healthcare Learning Pathway and book online.
Further information on each level of study can be found below. These can be completed as a Learning Pathway (L1 -3) or individually, depending on your training needs. The courses are fully accredited by the CIEHF and CPD and a certificate will be available for registered participants on successful completion.
Important information
We are delighted to announce that Loughborough University has been awarded the partnership with NHS England to deliver Levels 3 and 4 of the Patient Safety Syllabus training for Patient Safety Specialists. NHS England senior executives will receive a letter from the Minister for Health about getting the Patient Safety Specialists onto this funded training.
Due to that work, and the restructuring of much of our own Healthcare Learning Pathway (HLP) into the Patient Safety Syllabus, we have had to reduce the number of available sessions for the HLP for the next 9 months (up to May 2024). Once all the preparation for the NHS Patient Safety Syllabus Project is up and running we will relaunch the HLP in a slightly different but more accessible format. This restructuring will contain the same content and will have all the same accreditation from CPD and from the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors.
We are hoping to launch the restructured modules from April 2024. Please contact us by email with your details if you are interested in receiving further information for these modules.
Our Healthcare Learning Pathway Booking Terms and Conditions can be found here.
Level 1
Level 1 (Awareness) is an accredited e-learning short course available free-of-charge to all NHS staff via Health Education England and NHS Education for Scotland. The 1-hour online learning introduces a Systems approach using Human Factors models to think about risk and safety. This interactive course includes examples to show how redesigning systems, purchasing new equipment and working together can improve patient safety. You can take part in two interactive scenarios to develop your knowledge and finish the course with a short quiz to receive your accredited certificate from the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors (CIEHF.) CIEHF launched the accredited Healthcare Learning Pathway earlier this year to support the National Patient Safety Strategy. This Level 1 e-learning is also available free of charge to NHS staff via Health Education England (HEE) and NHS Education for Scotland (NES).
Level 2
Level 2 (Understands) has nine online learning modules to develop your Human Factors knowledge and skills from awareness to understanding. You start by learning about Systems mapping including Systems Engineering for Patient Safety (SEIPS) and Task Analysis. There are modules for Risk Analysis, Resilience Engineering, and Incident Investigation developed in collaboration with HSIB. You will be encouraged to your experiences of healthcare design from frequently used medical devices, through to hospital building design and ambulances. Safety management is considered by thinking about procedures, leadership, and teamwork, and finally how you can be a Human Factors Champion for healthcare safety.
Modules (now taking bookings)
Systems
Systems is a prerequisite module you will have to attend prior to any other Level 2 modules. You will be introduced with a brief history of Safety Science which evolved through different ages, e.g. technical, human factors, system and adaptive ages. You will be introduced to a range of Human Factors/Ergonomics (HFE) models for systems thinking e.g. SHELL, Onion, and SEIPS (Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety), as well as CARE (Concepts for Applying Resilience Engineering). The module will provide a group work opportunity applying SEIPS and various system diagrams for systems analysis.
Trainers: Dr Thomas Jun and Dr Mark Sujan
Dates: 23 January 2024
Task Analysis
Task Analysis is a core method in Human Factors/Ergonomics. You will learn how to collect and analyse data from observing physical work through to design of tools and evaluation of performance. You will develop Hierarchical Task Analysis (HTA) examples for both everyday tasks and clinical activities, and think about the role of HTA in wider systems analyses, e.g. SHERPA. You will learn a second Task Analysis method, called Link Analysis, to think about how to improve interactions between humans, machines, and workplaces. This can include better design of medical devices and workplaces to improve efficiency and reduce effort.
Trainers: Professor Sue Hignett, Dr Helen Vosper, Dr Saydia Razak
Dates: 31 January 2024
Teamwork, Non-Technical Skills and Leadership
The module on leadership and non-technical skills is meant to provide you with insight into leadership as a process versus a leader as a person. It draws upon an individual's traits, personality and emotional intelligence as factors that interplay with their technical understanding of human Factors/Ergonomics based process design. This allows further exploration, critique, and appreciation of leadership in complex adaptive systems such as healthcare. It offers a balanced insight of individual versus system resilience in delivering outcomes for quality and safety.
Trainers: Professor Jay Banerjee and Professor Sue Hignett
Dates: 7 March 2024
Procedures
This module provides training on the development of work procedures such as written instructions, checklists, and flow charts to create safer and easier to use procedures, and reduce risks to healthcare staff, patients, carers, and others. You will be introduced to ten key guidance points for all stages of procedures development, implementation and review: (1) What is a Work Procedure?; (2) Ensure a Procedure is needed; (3) Involve the whole team; (4) Identify the hazards; (5) Capture work-as-done; (6) Make it easy to follow; (7) Test it out; (8) Train people; (9) Put it into practice; and (10) Keep it under review.
Trainers: Dr Helen Vosper and Professor Sue Hignett
Dates: 18 March 2024
Risk Analysis and Resilience
This module aims to help develop nuanced understanding of risk management and resilience engineering in healthcare. You will be introduced a range of different risk types that exist in healthcare and appropriate risk management strategies. You will consider key stages of risk management and conduct a group work applying SEIPS-based safety assessment. The model of the Concept for Applying Resilience Engineering will be introduced in detail and be used for a group work assessing and improving resilience abilities of the healthcare system.
Trainers: Dr Thomas Jun and Dr Tracey Herlihey
Dates: 15 May 2024
Incident Investigation
This module aims to help develop in-depth understanding of the human contribution to incidents and underlying mechanisms. You will be introduced the latest development of HFE-based models and approaches to incident investigation, e.g. barrier thinking, systems thinking and resilience thinking. The module will provide a group work opportunity applying AcciMap for system-based incident analysis.
Trainers: Dr Thomas Jun and Dr Laura Pickup
Date: 16 May 2024
Medical Devices and Digital Interfaces
In this module you will apply your learning about HFE systems and task analysis for testing and evaluation (including simulation) of equipment, software, controls, visual displays, etc. You will use your growing knowledge about human capabilities/limitations and apply HFE methods to enhance health, safety, comfort, motivation, usability, effectiveness, and efficiency. Where you identify potential and existing high-risk tasks and activities, you will be encouraged to integrate HFE principles and concepts into the design of systems, interfaces, and products supported by published examples of HFE case studies from the teaching faculty.
Trainers: Professor Sue Hignett and Dr Alexandra Lang
Date: 13 February 2024
Communicating HFE
Communicating HFE is a key activity in promoting safety in healthcare. You will learn about 12 Tips for educators including the systems framework, HFE tools and competency, misunderstandings, and ideas for implementation to enhance the effectiveness of safety and improvement work in frontline healthcare practice. This will include thinking about systems and cultures for different audiences and discussing how to address myths and misunderstandings about HFE in healthcare. The synergies between Quality Improvement (QI) and HFE will be explored as part of the learning organisation, and you will be encouraged to ‘build on what is already there’.
Trainers: Dr Helen Vosper and Professor Sue Hignett
Date: 14 February 2024
Physical Environment
This module will outline environmental factors that contribute to physical well-being including working conditions (e.g. acoustic, thermal visual vibration) and exposure to musculoskeletal risks. You will look at how people interact with their environment by revisiting Link Analysis (Task Analysis module) and consider how workplace/task design can result in awkward working postures and risk of injury. You will learn and practice two core HFE methods, postural analysis (OWAS and REBA) and anthropometry (body shape and size). You will be encouraged to use these tools to evaluate human performance and design safer working environments and tasks.
Trainers: Professor Sue Hignett and Dr Mike Fray
Date: 26 April 2024
Please note that Systems and Task Analysis modules must be completed first.
Level 3
Level 3 (Demonstrates) will take you to the professional level of Technical Specialist with the flexible and transferrable qualification of ‘TechCIEHF (Healthcare)’. This can be achieved by two routes:
- Academic route: postgraduate (PG Cert/MSc) route can be competed in 1-2 years, followed by 1 year of work-based mentoring with a professional CIEHF mentor to build your knowledge, skills, and competencies through case studies. The cost is postgraduate course fee plus of mentorship fee (£1000 per year)
- Experiential route: part-time work-based pathway with nine Level 2 topics (one-day courses) followed by Level 3 mentoring (after completing 6 modules) with a professional CIEHF mentor to build your knowledge, skills and competencies through case studies using the Level 2 methods. Your portfolio of case studies (activity logs) will be supported by monthly meetings with your mentor. The cost of the Level 2 modules is £295 per person/per module and the Level 3 mentorship will be £1000 per year. It is expected that you would need 2 years of mentorship.
Both routes have a clear structure and programme, and Loughborough University will allocate a qualified mentor. Assessments are based on the CIEHF Competency Matrix and informed by the National Patient Safety Syllabus. This Learning Pathway will support you in developing the skills to work in a patient safety leadership role and as a TechCIEHF (Healthcare) you will be equipped to lead Human Factors initiatives in your organisation.