Human Biomechanics and Human Factors Research in Healthcare
Human Biomechanics and Human Factors Research in Healthcare
By Katie Collins
Having a diversity of perspectives, educational
backgrounds, and research experiences enhances creativity, problem-solving, and
performance. Experts at Core Human Factors, A Rimkus Company (Core), have a
wide variety of experiences within related fields like cognitive neuroscience,
experimental psychology, computer science, biomedical engineering, and
ergonomics. The collective experience of the consultants at Core provides a
unique and robust human factors team that is well-equipped to address a variety
of human factors research questions.
I joined the Core team as a human factors consultant after
more than a decade of human biomechanics research. A large part of my research involved
assessing movement quality across a variety of activities and populations. For
example, I’ve assessed walking, running, and landing biomechanics, and I’ve worked
with collegiate athletes, adults and adolescents with knee pathology, children
with cerebral palsy, and veterans with amputation. During these varied experiences
the same questions would always arise. What is influencing their movement
patterns? Is it the internal constraints of their own body or the external environment?
Is it their confidence or their fear? Is it their pain or their understanding
of the task at hand?
The Dynamic Systems Theory (DST) proposed by Dr. Karl
Newell suggests that a specific movement pattern is the result of the
interaction of three primary constraints: the task, the environment, and the individual
(Figure
1). As
a result of the self-organization of these three constraints, the most stable
and efficient movement pattern emerges, but not without some variability (or
chaos).
 Figure 1. Theory of Constraints (Newell, 1986) |
It is obvious that not every movement pattern is exactly
the same. While there is some consistency in how we move, we can observe
variability within our own movement patterns and when comparing how we move to
other individuals. Ultimately, variability is a necessary component of movement
execution. Less variability and greater redundancy in movement patterns have
been tied to deleterious outcomes such as poor knee joint health and overuse
injuries. There is even evidence that introducing variability may enhance motor
learning and movement execution because it requires an individual to achieve a
slightly different task or find new solutions to the same task.
Now, as a researcher at Core, I find myself reflecting upon
DST. While observing a participant tackle a performance task during a usability
study, I think about the constraints. What is the task at hand? What is the
most stable and efficient way to accomplish this task? Do they have any physical
or personal limitations? What is the real-life environment when completing this
task?
Similar to the execution of human movement, there is some
consistency in how someone may attempt to complete a study task. However, the
real learning may be hidden in the individual variability. How does each
individual approach the solution to the task in front of them? What resources
are available to them, and what will they choose to utilize? Why did they
approach the task in that way? Will they find new solutions to the same task?
The experts at Core can help to answer these frequently asked
questions surrounding the unique constraints of product use. Through a variety of mechanisms, such
as semi-structured interviews, use-related risk analyses, and formative human
factors studies, Core can help to identify the unique characteristics of the intended
uses, users, and use environments. In addition, Core can identify potential use
events and root causes; consequently, risk-control measures can then be
implemented to support safe and effective product use. On the surface,
biomechanics and human factors appear to be distinctly separate areas of
research, but they are inherently interwoven.
References:
Newell, K. M. (1986). Constraints on the Development of
Coordination. In M. G. Wade, & H. T. A. Whiting (Eds.), Motor Development
in Children: Aspects of Coordination and Control (pp. 341-360). The
Netherlands: Martinus Nijhoff, Dordrecht. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-4460-2_19
Newell, K. M., R. E. A. Van Emmerik, and P. V. McDonald.
"Biomechanical constraints and action theory." Human Movement
Science 8.4 (1989): 403-409.
Newell, K. M. "On task and theory
specificity." Journal of motor behavior 21.1 (1989):
92-96.
Newell, Karl M., Yeou-Teh Liu, and Gottfried Mayer-Kress.
"A dynamical systems interpretation of epigenetic landscapes for infant
motor development." Infant Behavior and Development 26.4
(2003): 449-472.
Newell, Karl M., and Kimberlee Jordan. "Task
Constraints and Movement Organization: A Common Language." Ecological Task
Analysis and Movement. Ed. Walter E. Davis and Geoffrey D. Broadhead Champaign,
IL: Human Kinetics, 2007. 5–24. Human Kinetics Library Platform. Web. 31 Jan.
2025. <http://dx.doi.org/10.5040/9781492595434.ch-001>.
Ranganathan R, Newell KM. Changing up the routine:
intervention-induced variability in motor learning. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2013
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Armitano-Lago C, Bjornsen E, Lisee C, Buck A, Büttner C,
Kiefer AW, Schwartz TA, Pietrosimone B. Lower limb coordination patterns
following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: A longitudinal study. J
Sport Health Sci. 2024 Sep 17;14:100988. doi: 10.1016/j.jshs.2024.100988. Epub
ahead of print. PMID: 39299606.