MacroErgonomics Safety and Health Laboratory

A. Joy Rodriguez

Contact Information

3217 Mechanical Engineering Building
1513 University Avenue
Madison, WI 53706-1572

About Me

I apply both quantitative and qualitative human factors research methods to understand how health care providers complete complex cognitive activities to support their daily clinical tasks performed with and without Health IT. Through my extensive observations and interviews as a research assistant on two funded projects, I developed an interest in how health care providers engage in interruptions to interact and communicate with one another to provide safe, quality and efficient care to their patients and manage social and technical problems within their work system.

Education

• Ph.D. program in Industrial and Systems Engineering. University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • Expected graduation date: May/August 2011
  • Dissertation Title: Nursing Interactions and Communication through Interruptions
• M.S., Industrial and Systems Engineering. University of Wisconsin-Madison
• B.S., Industrial and Systems Engineering. University of Wisconsin-Madison

Teaching Experience

• Teaching Assistant, Introduction to Human Factors Engineering
• Guest Lectured, Occupation Safety and Health
• Guest Lectured, Introduction to Human Factors Engineering
• Semester Grader and guest lectured, Occupational Safety and Health
• Greater University Tutoring Service

Research

• 2007-Present Graduate Engineering Research Scholar, UW-Madison
• 2008 Hispanic Professional of Greater Milwaukee Scholarship
• 2007 StraightForward Media Engineering Scholarship
• 2001-2006 Chancellor Scholar, UW-Madison
• 2001-2006 Leaders in Engineering Excellence and Diversity Scholar, UW-Madison
• 2001-2006 Women In Science and Engineering, UW-Madison
• 2001-2005 Academic Excellence Scholarship, State of Wisconsin

Teaching Experience

• Teaching Assistant, Introduction to Human Factors Engineering
• Guest Lectured, Occupation Safety and Health
• Guest Lectured, Introduction to Human Factors Engineering
• Semester Grader and guest lectured, Occupational Safety and Health
• Greater University Tutoring Service

Research

Nursing, Technologies and Medication Management: New Multidimensional Measures of Cost and Quality

Funded by: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation - RWJF 61148 to Pascale Carayon, PhD (PI), Ben-Tzion Karsh, PhD (PI) and Mary Ellen Murray, PhD, RN (PI).

Roles/responsibilities:

• Research assistant for multi-site, longitudinal field study of the effects of health information technologies on the quality of nurses' medication management
  • Took lead in developing the protocol for the Institutional Review Board (IRB)
  • Co-developed work system analysis methodology, interview methodology and proactive risk analysis methodology
  • Co-developed electronic data collection tool to understand nurses' work
  • Conducted on-site data collection for work system analyses on nurses' work (80 hrs of observations)
  • Conducted interviews with nurses to better understand their cognitive processes while working and their perception of medication management (36 interviews)
  • Assisted with Proactive Risk Analysis
  • Co-developed and validated survey to test new measures of nursing contributions to medication management

Bar Coding and Patient and Employee Safety

Funded by: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality grant R01 HS013610-01 to Ben-Tzion Karsh, PhD (PI).

Roles/responsibilities:

• Research assistant for multi-site, longitudinal field study of the effect of bar coding technology on pediatric hospital patient and employee safety.
  • Took lead in managing database and analysis of medication error data
  • Initiated study of interruptions (Rivera et al., 2008)
  • Participated in on-site data collection for work system analyses on nurses' work (30 hrs of observation); on-site dissemination of surveys; and on-site interviews with nurses to validate work system analyses data.

Publications and Presentations

Refereed Journal Articles

IN PROGRESS

• Rivera-Rodriguez, A. J., Faye, H., Karsh, B., & Carayon, P. (In Progress) Recovery and problem solving of health information technology failure modes during medication administration.
• Rivera-Rodriguez, A. J., Faye, H., Karsh, B., & Carayon, P. (In Progress) Quantitative model of how Health IT influences nurses contributions to medication management quality.

SUBMITTED

• Holden, R. J., Rivera-Rodriguez, A. J., Faye, H., Scanlon, M.C., Karsh, B. (Revised & Re-submitted) The Impact of Bar Coded Medication Administration Technology on Nurses' Problem-Solving Behavior.
• Karsh, B., Beasley, J.W., Temte, J., Lapin, J. A., Wetterneck, T., Smith, P., & Rivera-Rodriguez, A. J. (Submitted) Information Chaos in Primary Care: Implications for Physician Performance and Patient Safety..

PUBLISHED

• Faye, H., Rivera-Rodriguez, A. J., Karsh, B., Hundt Schoofs, A., Baker, C., & Carayon, P. (2010). Involving ICU Nurses in a Proactive Risk Assessment of the Medication Management Process. The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety, 36(8), 376-384
• Rivera-Rodriguez, A.J., & Karsh, B. (2010). Interruptions and Distractions in Healthcare: Review and Reappraisal. Quality and Safety in Health Care, 19(4), 304
• Rivera, A.J., & Karsh, B. (2008). Human Factors and Systems Engineering Approach to Patient Safety for Radiotherapy. Int. J. Radiation Oncology Biol. Phys., 71(1) , S174-S177
• Holden, R.J., Or, K.L., Alper, S.J., Rivera, A.J., & Karsh, B. (2008). A change management framework for macroergonomic field research. Applied Ergonomics, 39 459-474

Refereed Proceedings Articles

• Beasley, J.W., Karsh, B., Temte, J., Lapin, J.A., Wetterneck, T., Smith, P.A., Rivera-Rodriguez, A.J. (May 2010). Information chaos in primary care: Implications for patient safety. 10th WONCA World Conference of Family Doctors, Cancun, Mexico.
• Faye, H., Carayon, P., Karsh, B., Rivera, A.J., Murray, M. E., Scanlon, M.C., & Baker, C. (June 2008). ICU nurse medication management: decision-making in a complex environment. 2nd Healthcare Systems Ergonomics and Patient Safety International Conference, Strausburg, France.
• Holden, R.J., Alper, S.J., Scanlon, M.C., Murkowski, K., Rivera, A.J., & Karsh, B. (June 2008). Challenges and problem-solving strategies during medication management: A study of a pediatric hospital before and after bar-coding. 2nd Healthcare Systems Ergonomics and Patient Safety International Conference, Strausburg, France.
• Rivera, A.J., Alper, S.J., Scanlan, M.C., Murkowski, K., Kaushal, R., & Karsh, B. (March 2008). Healthcare Interruptions in the Medication Administration Process. Presented at the 9th International Symposium on Human Factors in Organizational Design and Management. Guaruja, Sao Paulo, Brazil
• Alper, S.J., Rivera, A.J., Holden, R.J., Scanlon, M. Murkowski, K., & Karsh, B. (March 2008). Routine and situational violations during medication administration. Preceedings of the 9th International Symposium on Human Factors in Organizational Design and Management. Guaruja, Sao Paulo, Brazil
• Holden, R. J., Alper, S.J., Rivera, A.J., Or, K.L., & Karsh, B. (March 2008). Macroergonomic Field Research Reframed: What can be (and has been) Learned by Field Researchers from Change Management Theory. Presented at the 9th International Symposium on Human Factors in Organizational Design and Management. Guaruja, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Posters

• Faye, H., Rivera, A.J. (January 2009). Nurses' Perception of Medication Management. Poster presented at Quality and Safety in Nursing Education: What Every Nurse Must Know and How We Might Teach Them, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
• Rivera, A. J. (April 2008). Hospital Healthcare Interruptions in the Medication Administration Process. Poster presented at "Showcase 2008." Office of Quality Improvement, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA.

Book Chapters

• Rivera-Rodriguez, A. J. and Karsh, B (2010). Human Factors Engineering: An Overview. In T. Pawlicki, P. Dunscombe, A. J. Mundt, and P. Scalliet (Eds.). Quality Assurance and Safety in Radiotherapy. P. 223-227
• Karsh, B., Wetterneck, T., Holden, R. J., Rivera, A. J., Alper, S. J., Scanlon, M., Carayon, P., Faye, H. (2009). Bar coding in medication administration. Handbook of Healthcare Delivery Systems. (Y. Yih Ed.) CRC press.

Invited Talks

• Interruptions in Healthcare: Friend or Foe, invited panelist with Sandra K. Garrett, Sarah Henrickson Parker and Frank Drews; Human Factors and Ergonomic Society 53rd Annual Meeting, San Antonio, Texas

Professional Experience

• Consultant for Usability for Home Health Care Technologies, The National Academies
• Teaching Assistant, Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE) Department, UW-Madison
• Research Assistant, ISyE Department, UW-Madison
• Grader, ISyE Department, UW-Madison
• Career Services Assistant, Engineering Career Services, UW-Madison
• Undergraduate Researcher, ISyE Department, UW-Madison
• Engineering Intern, Johnson Controls, Glendale, WI
• Technical Writing Consultant, Vertex Internal Packaging Solutions, Denver, CO

Awards/Honors

• Graduate Engineering Research Scholar, UW-Madison
• Antoinette Derjani-Bayeh Scholarship Fund, UW-Madison Foundation
• Hispanic Professional of Greater Milwaukee Scholarship
• StraightForward Media Engineering Scholarship
• Chancellor Scholar, UW-Madison
• Leaders in Engineering Excellence and Diversity Scholar, UW-Madison
• Women In Science and Engineering, UW-Madison
• Academic Excellence Scholarship, State of Wisconsin

Service

• Reviewer for Radiotherapy and Oncology
• Reviewer for Human Factors and Ergonomic Society 54th Annual Meeting
• Co-coordinator of New Educators Orientation (NEO) Workshop
• Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) seminar alumni mentor
• Co-chair for the Usability Evaluation Environment panel: HFES 53rd annual meeting
• Guest panelist for the SWE's Engineering Tomorrow's Career Camp
• Guest panelist for the Engineering Career Services Graduate School Presentation

Professional Development

• Healthcare Systems Engineering Research and Education Leadership Workshop
• DELTA's Instructional Materials Development Semester Course
• DELTA's Writing, Teaching and Learning Philosophies Workshop
• Teaching Academy Summer Institute
• DELTA's Broader Impact Workshop

Student and Professional Organizations/Affiliations

• Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES), UW-Madison Chapter
• Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society
• American Society of Safety Engineers
• Society of Women Engineers (Graduate Affairs Officer)
• Health Systems Engineering Association, UW-Madison (President/Vice President)
• Institute of Industrial Engineers, UW-Madison Chapter (Fundraising Officer)
• Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers