Human factors and translational simulation: misunderstandings and potential opportunities

There are great synergies between human factors and translational simulation, with both approaches sharing the goal of improving patient care and the working lives of healthcare practitioners. However, a combination of misconceptions about human factors in the simulation community and a limited understanding of the capabilities of simulation within the human factors community means that the great potential for synergies between human factors and translation simulation remains unrealized. The field of human factors offers methods, models and theories to support simulationists to better understand their organizations. Translational simulation offers an ideal vehicle for human factors practitioners to engage in systems analysis and testing. Simulation also serves as a laboratory for research, design and development. Yet such collaborations are still relatively rare. Healthcare simulation is predominantly used for training, and human factors practitioners are largely unaware of the opportunity that simulation offers to support human factors work. We encourage members of both the simulation and human factors communities to build partnerships to the benefit of patients, healthcare workers and the entire healthcare system.