Over-Reliance on Expertise

Dramatic increased use of robotics and computer driven equipment brings addition risk complications into the work place. If the safety system fads, human operators may have to take over. Their lack of experience and expertise puts them at risk that they would not otherwise have had without reliance on the automation. 

At the moment it seems safe to say that there is excessive reliance in healthcare on human memory and other fallible processes computers, memory and decision aids of all kinds are grossly underused. The boundaries of the human machine interface will change over time, as we develop more powerful and sophisticated systems and accept that clinical expertise, essential though it is, does not necessarily bring reliability and consistency to routine operations. In some areas however, there have already been considerable advances a notable example is the use of computerized systems in the process of medication administration. 

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