KENNESAW, Ga. | Dec 4, 2024

Researchers in Kennesaw State University’s Human Factors, Operations Optimization, and Ergonomics (HOPE) Lab, are aiming to improve healthcare by integrating advanced technologies like eye-tracking sensors and wearable exoskeletons to improve patient safety, reduce costs, and enhance care quality.

The lab’s research blends industrial engineering and healthcare insights to redesign processes and systems that eliminate pain points for both patients and healthcare workers. Awatef Ergai, an associate professor in KSU’s Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, said many healthcare workflows are outdated and inefficient, causing unnecessary strain on processes. Using sensors to identify constraints, they aim to eliminate redundant steps, improving both staff performance and patient care.

"Outdated healthcare workflows are not only inefficient, but they also drive up costs and put avoidable pressure on both patients and providers,” Ergai said. “By refining these processes, we can reduce inefficiencies, enhance patient safety, improve healthcare quality, and ultimately make healthcare more affordable, safe, and effective for everyone."

Valentina Nino, an assistant professor of industrial and systems engineering, said the lab focuses on eliminating friction in workflows by addressing cognitive and physical design aspects.

For example, eye-tracking sensors monitor where healthcare workers are focusing their attention, revealing areas of potential distraction or cognitive overload. By analyzing this data, the team can suggest changes to workflow layouts, user interfaces, and training protocols that help improve concentration and reduce errors. Another example is the integration of continuous monitoring devices into healthcare operations (tasks) and tailored models that help streamline processes. This technology is especially important in high-stress environments, such as emergency rooms or intensive care units, where quick decision-making and clear focus are critical.

Similarly, the wearable exoskeletons and motion capture and EMG sensors play a crucial role in improving the physical ergonomics of healthcare work. These devices (this refers to the exoskeletons only) are designed to support healthcare workers by reducing the physical toll of repetitive tasks such as lifting, bending, and reaching.

By tracking workers’ movements and monitoring stress on muscles and joints, these sensors help design exoskeletons that provide real-time assistance. The exoskeletons redistribute weight and help prevent musculoskeletal injuries, which are common in manufacturing industries. This, in turn, reduces absences and turnover due to injury, and allows workers to perform their duties more sustainably.

“Our goal is to evaluate if their incorporation into healthcare tasks will have benefits to the providers and patients,” Nino said.

By collaborating with Wellstar Health System and KSU’s Coles College of Business, the team refines its research based on real-world feedback. These partnerships provide insights to test designs in clinical settings, ensuring the proposed solutions address the actual challenges healthcare professionals face.

Within Wellstar College, they collaborate with Doreen Wagner, Mark Geil, and Katherine Ingram, while at Coles College of Business, they work with Sweta Sneha and Adriane Randolph. In the College of Computing and Software Engineering, they partner with Maria Valero, Yong Shi, and Paola Spoletini, and with Israel Sanchez-Cardona at the Radow College. This interdisciplinary approach helps strengthen their research, ensuring the solutions they develop are both technologically sound and closely aligned with real-world healthcare needs.

The lab also seeks to address rising healthcare costs and the growing issue of burnout among healthcare workers, who are often subjected to long hours, high-stress environments, and physically demanding tasks.

“By improving the physical sustainability of healthcare work, we’re contributing to a healthier workforce, which in turn leads to better patient care,” Nino said.

As the healthcare industry continues to evolve, KSU researchers envision a future where human-centered design principles and advanced technology are seamlessly integrated into everyday healthcare practice.

“We want to create a system where technology works for the people who use it, not the other way around,” Nino said.

– Story by Raynard Churchwell

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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.