Designers Aid for Infusion Pumps to Minimize User Error

This research evaluates the feasibility of a computer-based design tool for I.V. infusion pumpmanufacturers that mitigates user error associated with cancer, infection, or AIDS related treatment.Phase I has three aims. The first is to establish a typology of user errors associated with major pumpfunctions understood by the user. The second aim is to determine the functional requirements of anerror-mitigating tool through focus group meetings with infusion pump design teams. The third aim isto determine whether the information collected in the first two aims indicate that a computer-aidederror-mitigating design tool is feasible. The research is innovative in its attempt to develop acomputer-aided system that promotes user-centered design and error prevention.