Redesign of Bedside Supply Carts to Improve Emergency Department Workflows: Mixed Methods Participatory Design

A participatory design process, using human factors principles in tandem with extensive input from end users, enables improvements to stocking. Implications for practice include (1) lack of easy access to appropriate supplies negatively impacts patient care and contributes to nurse burnout and frustration, (2) human factors engineering can improve access to patient care supplies through redesigning the layout of hospital supply carts to better align with workflows, and (3) co-design with frequent collaboration from stakeholders and end users ensures that solutions address the issues that matter most in a sustainable way.