Launched in April 2025, the Osler-U of T Human Factors Academic Practice Partnership (APP) is the first of its kind in Ontario. By bringing together Mechanical and Industrial Engineering students with frontline Osler clinicians, the partnership supports innovative joint quality improvement initiatives aimed at enhancing patient safety, quality care and overall health system performance.

Human factors engineering in health care specifically explores how clinicians interact with tools, equipment and processes, and how that impacts both patients and those providing care. Its goal is to design work systems and processes that better support health care teams in delivering safe, high-quality and efficient care.  

“Osler and U of T work together to match undergraduate, master’s, doctoral, or postdoctoral engineering students with hospital-based human factors research projects,” said Komal Mazhar, Director, Quality, Risk and Business Continuity, William Osler Health System. 

“Students gain firsthand experience in Osler’s acute care hospital setting, while our clinicians benefit from their human factors knowledge and expertise to co-develop practical solutions to real-world challenges in health care,” continues Mazhar.​

Widely adopted in the United States but relatively new in Canada, applying human factors analysis in health care settings is proven to improve quality and safety, including, increasing delivery of evidence-based care, improving patient communication, minimizing clinical errors, and reducing inefficiencies.  

“The APP will help accelerate the adoption of human factors in health care by providing a viable model for HF integration in Canadian hospitals,” said Dr. Myrtede Alfred, Assistant Professor, Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto. “Additionally, embedding engineering trainees directly into health care environments creates a highly talented pipeline of health factors professionals"  

Two of the 16 undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral research trainees that have been engaged, recently had the opportunity to present on their respective projects at the 15th International Symposium on Human Factors and Ergonomics in Health Care in New York, an event that focuses on the latest insights, best practices and innovations that improve safety for patients and health care providers. 

“Those two research projects are prime examples of how we’re advancing dedicated quality improvement initiatives at Osler through a human factors lens,” said Mazhar, noting that one project is examining the key contributors to patient no-show visits in diagnostic imaging, and the other is seeking to optimize perioperative workflow to enhance patient care and operational efficiency. 

As demand for health care services continues to grow, hospitals are focused on improving access and ensuring resources are used as effectively as possible. Opportunities exist to reduce missed diagnostic imaging appointments helping to minimize delays, improve patient flow and enhance the overall care experience for patients and families. While preliminary recommendations have been made based on the stud​ents’ work to date, both are expected to share their final findings and recommendations with their clinical partners later this year. 

“I believe the Osler-U of T APP highlights the potential for partnerships between academia and health care to drive meaningful improvements in patient care, quality and safety,” said Tiziana Rivera, Executive Vice President, Quality, Research and Chief Nursing Executive, William Osler Health System. 

“As Osler advances its High Reliability Organization (HRO) journey, we see embedding human factors thinking into the way we deliver care, as an important tool in achieving and sustaining system safety and efficiency.”