ABSTRACT
Products should perform calculations automatically, rather than require users to make mental calculations that could involve errors and lead to harm. When the consequences of a math error are safety-critical, products should not require users to perform mental calculations or even calculations supported by pencil and paper. Instead, microprocessor-endowed products should provide calculation tools—perhaps a step-by-step wizard that directs the user to enter specific values and then performs the necessary calculations, providing guidance in a user-friendly manner. Regardless of whether a particular individual is “good at math,” he or she can be prone to make a calculation error in his or her head at some point, and the error could have significant consequences. Smart infusion pumps can automatically calculate infusion values that clinicians have traditionally calculated manually.
