AMSA: Patient Safety: IHI PS 103
Human Factors & Safety Test
Questions with Correct Solutions 2026
Updated.
Human factors is the study of:
(A) Interactions among humans
(B) Interactions between humans and machines
(C) Interactions between humans and the environment
(D) All of the above - Answer D - Human factors is an established science that uses many
disciplines to understand how people perform under different circumstances. This engineering
discipline deals with the interface of people, equipment, and the environment.
Which of the following is an example of unconscious processing by the brain?
(A) Optical illusions
(B) Skipping a step on a checklist to save time
(C) Mistaking one drug for another because of look-alike packages
(D) A and C - Answer D - Optical illusions and mistakes involving look-alike drugs and names
reflect unconscious processing by the human brain. Unconscious processing is a fundamental
part of human cognition that can lead to human error even when people are trying their best.
Safe systems take these known characteristics of human cognition into account to help people
do things the right way.
When attempting to decrease the risk of error, it's important to use human factors principles
because:
(A) If you understand the factors that cause people to make mistakes, you can hire safer
providers.
(B) If you understand human factors principles, you can ensure your system is perfectly safe.
(C) If you understand the factors that affect human performance on critical tasks, you can design
a safer system.
(D) If you understand human factors principles, you can always justify using the latest
technology at the bedside. - Answer C - Understanding how factors that affect human
performance (such as fatigue, stress, and poor lighting) affect work and detract from one's
ability to execute a safety-critical task (such as administering a medication, filling a prescription,
or writing an order) can help you design processes and systems in ways that make them safer.
, Which of the following types of errors is associated with controlled thinking?
(A) Errors of memory storage
(B) Errors of planning
(C) Skill-based errors
(D) A and C - Answer B - Controlled thinking is when we consciously, often slowly, solve
problems and make decisions. This is when errors of planning can occur, also known as
"mistakes." In comparison, automatic thinking is rapid, effortless thought, during which we are
vulnerable to what experts call skill-based errors, which include errors of execution or memory
storage.
At the end of a double shift, an experienced nurse with an excellent track record gives a
medication to the wrong patient. Based on human factors principles, what would you guess was
the biggest contributor to this error?
(A) The nurse's training was out-of-date.
(B) The nurse was prone to error because she was tired.
(C) The nurse had become complacent and stopped trying hard.
(D) The nurse deliberately ignored protocol. - Answer B - The nurse was most likely fatigued
after a double shift, which made her prone to error. We cannot sustain performance by merely
trying hard and paying attention, and fatigue can affect performance no matter how hard you
try or how excellent your training may be. When you are fatigued, you need processes that help
prevent you from making an error, or mitigate the effects of an error if you do make one.
Which of the following is a basic strategy for minimizing the opportunity for error in a process?
(A) Reducing reliance on technology
(B) Standardizing how the process is completed
(C) Trying harder to perform the process correctly
(D) A and C - Answer B - The science of human factors has helped us identify many design
principles that can help prevent errors; standardizing processes is one such principle. Although
we shouldn't be overly reliant on technology, technology can often be used to help prevent
errors. Simply trying harder is not an effective error-prevention tactic.
Which of the following statements about redundancies within processes is always true?
(A) They are needlessly inefficient.
(B) They remove the opportunity for error.
Human Factors & Safety Test
Questions with Correct Solutions 2026
Updated.
Human factors is the study of:
(A) Interactions among humans
(B) Interactions between humans and machines
(C) Interactions between humans and the environment
(D) All of the above - Answer D - Human factors is an established science that uses many
disciplines to understand how people perform under different circumstances. This engineering
discipline deals with the interface of people, equipment, and the environment.
Which of the following is an example of unconscious processing by the brain?
(A) Optical illusions
(B) Skipping a step on a checklist to save time
(C) Mistaking one drug for another because of look-alike packages
(D) A and C - Answer D - Optical illusions and mistakes involving look-alike drugs and names
reflect unconscious processing by the human brain. Unconscious processing is a fundamental
part of human cognition that can lead to human error even when people are trying their best.
Safe systems take these known characteristics of human cognition into account to help people
do things the right way.
When attempting to decrease the risk of error, it's important to use human factors principles
because:
(A) If you understand the factors that cause people to make mistakes, you can hire safer
providers.
(B) If you understand human factors principles, you can ensure your system is perfectly safe.
(C) If you understand the factors that affect human performance on critical tasks, you can design
a safer system.
(D) If you understand human factors principles, you can always justify using the latest
technology at the bedside. - Answer C - Understanding how factors that affect human
performance (such as fatigue, stress, and poor lighting) affect work and detract from one's
ability to execute a safety-critical task (such as administering a medication, filling a prescription,
or writing an order) can help you design processes and systems in ways that make them safer.
, Which of the following types of errors is associated with controlled thinking?
(A) Errors of memory storage
(B) Errors of planning
(C) Skill-based errors
(D) A and C - Answer B - Controlled thinking is when we consciously, often slowly, solve
problems and make decisions. This is when errors of planning can occur, also known as
"mistakes." In comparison, automatic thinking is rapid, effortless thought, during which we are
vulnerable to what experts call skill-based errors, which include errors of execution or memory
storage.
At the end of a double shift, an experienced nurse with an excellent track record gives a
medication to the wrong patient. Based on human factors principles, what would you guess was
the biggest contributor to this error?
(A) The nurse's training was out-of-date.
(B) The nurse was prone to error because she was tired.
(C) The nurse had become complacent and stopped trying hard.
(D) The nurse deliberately ignored protocol. - Answer B - The nurse was most likely fatigued
after a double shift, which made her prone to error. We cannot sustain performance by merely
trying hard and paying attention, and fatigue can affect performance no matter how hard you
try or how excellent your training may be. When you are fatigued, you need processes that help
prevent you from making an error, or mitigate the effects of an error if you do make one.
Which of the following is a basic strategy for minimizing the opportunity for error in a process?
(A) Reducing reliance on technology
(B) Standardizing how the process is completed
(C) Trying harder to perform the process correctly
(D) A and C - Answer B - The science of human factors has helped us identify many design
principles that can help prevent errors; standardizing processes is one such principle. Although
we shouldn't be overly reliant on technology, technology can often be used to help prevent
errors. Simply trying harder is not an effective error-prevention tactic.
Which of the following statements about redundancies within processes is always true?
(A) They are needlessly inefficient.
(B) They remove the opportunity for error.
