Ergonomic design aspects in interaction between man and technical systems in medicine.

Technical systems in medical applications reach a complexity level where man-system-interface design on the basis of ergonomic principles and guidelines becomes mandatory. Personnel, equipment, environmental, and system ergonomics can be identified as the main areas of ergonomic research. Ergonomics in medicine considers the physician-patient-machine relationship in a specific task environment. The interaction between physician (or patient) and technical system deserves special design attention in order to ensure user acceptance and overall man-machine-system efficiency. We discuss the examples of an automated diagnosis system and an intraoperative patient monitoring system. We conclude that a task-oriented approach in systems design, including the designated users and considering ergonomic design principles, can create improved man-machine interfaces in the medical field.