PhD - Human Factors - Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
85
Scopus Publications
1566
Scholar Citations
22
Scholar h-index
35
Scholar i10-index
Scopus Publications
Rethinking CPR training: when the “man” in manikin affects performance, a randomized crossover simulation study Pooja A. Nawathe, Falisha F. Kanji, Efren Esteves, Yujie Cui, Russell D. Metcalfe-Smith, Tara Cohen Resuscitation Plus, 2026 Background: Women are less likely to receive bystander or in-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) than men and have lower survival rates following cardiac arrest. Current CPR training relies heavily on manikins that represent white, lean, male-presenting bodies. This study investigates whether manikin sex influences CPR performance using simulated cardiac arrest scenarios. Methods: We conducted a randomized crossover simulation trial of 52 internal medicine residents who completed two ventricular fibrillation arrest scenarios using male-bodied and female-bodied manikins in alternating order (1:1 allocation to female-first vs male-first) separated by a 4‑h washout period. The primary outcome was time from ventricular fibrillation onset to defibrillation and secondary outcomes included time to compressions, time to pad placement, time to recognition of ventricular fibrillation, and CPR quality metrics (depth, rate, and compression fraction). Data were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models controlling for participant sex and experience. Results: = 0.027). Conclusions: CPR performance was inferior when the female manikin was encountered first, with an asymmetric improvement pattern suggesting presentation order alone does not fully explain the gap. Early and routine female manikin representation in CPR education may improve cognitive readiness and attenuate sex-based disparities in resuscitation performance.
Interdisciplinary Operating Room Ergonomics Needs and Priorities: A Survey of Operating Room Staff Alexis Mah, Fahad Alam, Jeremie Larouche, Marie-Antonette Dandal, Tara Cohen, Susan Hallbeck, Hamid Norasi, Csilla Kallocsai, Sapna Sriram, James D. Helman, Julie Hallet Annals of Surgery, 2026 Objective: To examine perceived OR ergonomics facilitators and barriers, with a focus on the interdisciplinary team. Summary Background Data: Poor ergonomics causes musculoskeletal injuries affecting all operating room (OR) staff with repercussions on patient care, outcomes, and sustainability. Lack of ergonomic awareness and education are risk factors. Methods: We conducted a self-administered web-based survey of OR nurses, surgeons, and anesthesiologists at a single centre (n=238). We developed a questionnaire through items generation and reduction, followed by reliability and validity testing. Results: Response rate was 53.8%. Respondents perceived that on average 80% of nurses, 70% of surgeons, and 40% anesthesiologists experienced MSK injuries, with no difference in professional groups’ perceptions. Guideline ergonomics interventions were rarely used (<25%) except for specialized clothing (33%), equipment repositioning (59%), and seating (37%), though perceived beneficial by 80-90%. Reported barriers to optimal ergonomics were organizational/structural (lack of time, space, equipment, funding), whereas solutions were individual. Fear of unfavourable perception from others was a concern for 62%. Teams discussing, prioritizing, monitoring, or helping with ergonomics was indicated by <50%. Individual ergonomic adaptations were perceived as convenience by other staff. Conclusions: While structural/organizational issues are reported as barriers to ergonomics, solutions appeared as individual responsibilities. Team dynamics did not prioritize nor support ergonomics. Education tools leveraging the interdisciplinary team are warranted. This work will be supplemented by interviews and live observations to build tailored educational tools for OR teams.
The Safety Action Feedback and Engagement (SAFE) Loop: Initial Testing and Refinement of a Novel Intervention to Enhance Hospital Incident Reporting and Patient Safety Edward Seferian, Carl T. Berdahl, Bernice Coleman, Donna Leang, Tara Cohen, Nabeel Qureshi, Sara G. McCleskey, Karen Kaiser, Matthew Grissinger, Falisha Kanji, Andrew J. Henreid, Johan Carrascoza-Bolanos, Laura Daniels, Oscar Abarca, Pamela De La Cruz, Brandon T. Truong, Teryl K. Nuckols, and Journal of Patient Safety, 2026 Objectives: Voluntary incident reporting has improved safety in many high-risk industries, but barriers limit its effectiveness in hospitals. To overcome these, we designed the Safety Action Feedback and Engagement (SAFE) Loop to obtain input from nurses about and prioritize patient safety problems, teach nurses to write more informative reports and report priority incidents, standardize investigations, and provide feedback to nurses about mitigation plans. The present work sought to iteratively test and refine the nascent intervention. Methods: Set at a large US academic hospital, this work had 3 phases: (A) proof-of-concept testing on 2 nursing units, exploring potential feasibility and acceptability; (B) iterative refinements to intervention design and implementation plans; and (C) structured pilot testing on one nursing unit to produce descriptive and qualitative data related to the feasibility and acceptability of the refined intervention, and feasibility of future outcome measures. Results: Proof-of-concept testing demonstrated the feasibility of intervention elements and nurses’ enthusiasm. Incorporating iterative refinements, the structured pilot testing reaffirmed the feasibility of implementing the full SAFE Loop intervention and of collecting outcome data. Qualitative interviews after the pilot reaffirmed intervention acceptability. Conclusions: The SAFE Loop shows promise as an approach to enhancing hospital incident reporting systems. The present work illustrates how patient safety leaders can build from an initial intervention design toward a refined design and implementation plan, with demonstrated acceptability to stakeholders and feasible implementation.
Patient and clinician perspectives on misgendering in healthcare Kyle Okamuro, Alan Card, Hanna J Barton, Falisha Kanji, Victor Trasvina, Jill Blumenthal, Tara Cohen, Jennifer T Anger BMJ Quality and Safety, 2026 PurposeMisgendering of transgender and non-binary (TGNB) individuals in healthcare settings can lead to worsened mental and physical health outcomes and decreased utilisation of care. Few studies have investigated the factors that contribute to this phenomenon. The purpose of this study was to apply qualitative methods to explore sources of misgendering, its perceived impact, prevention strategies and clinician responses to accidentally misgendering a patient, as identified by TGNB patients and gender-affirming care clinicians.MethodsBetween April and June 2022, 20 semi-structured interviews were performed at an academic medical centre in Southern California. Participants were recruited via purposive sampling and included: (1) TGNB patients (n=8) recruited from an interdisciplinary gender-affirming urological practice and (2) gender-affirming care clinicians (n=12) recruited from a regional interdisciplinary Gender Health conference, three of whom identified as TGNB. Interviews were conducted in person or virtually using an open-ended topic guide, audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Inductive thematic analysis was performed by two independent study personnel who hand-coded the transcripts.ResultsFour overarching themes were identified: (1) misgendering originates from multiple sources, (2) misgendering discourages individual access to healthcare, creates community hesitation and its perceived impact is modified by setting and intentionality, (3) building a gender-affirming healthcare system requires integration of behaviour, policy and technology and (4) clinicians respond to accidental misgendering by acknowledging, apologising, advancing and acting.ConclusionOur data suggest that misgendering arises from both interpersonal communication and structural factors within healthcare systems, leading to perceived harm and diminished TGNB access to health services. Any potential solution to reduce this phenomenon will require a multifaceted approach integrating behavioural, technological and institutional policy strategies with system-level implementation efforts.
Psychosocial Safety Is Patient Safety: Gender-affirming Care as an Exemplar for Health Equity Hanna J. Barton, Tara N. Cohen, Falisha F. Kanji, Victor Trasvina, Jennifer T. Anger, Alan J. Card Journal of Patient Safety, 2026 Objective: Traditional patient safety has predominantly focused on preventing direct physical harm, such as falls and infections, often neglecting a critical aspect of safety: psychosocial safety. Yet preventable psychosocial harm—including the affective experience of pain; emotional harm; or social harm that may involve reputational, relational, or economic injuries—represents a pervasive threat to patient well-being that warrants research efforts and practice changes commensurate with the scope of the problem. Minoritized populations, particularly transgender and gender nonconforming (TGGN) patients, face heightened risks of psychosocial harm due to systemic biases and discrimination within health care systems. Methods: In this article, we focus on the experiences of TGGN patients to illustrate the pervasive nature of psychosocial harm and the urgent need for patient-centered care, which, in the case of TGGN care, is gender-affirming care. Results: We identify the need for systemic solutions to address psychosocial safety, including inclusive policies, education, and engagement with TGGN communities. We recommend taking a human-centered design approach to health care that prioritizes the needs of minoritized populations and aims to eliminate structural stigma. Conclusion: By integrating psychosocial safety into the broader patient safety framework, health care systems can create more equitable and compassionate environments that promote the well-being of all patients. There is no patient safety without psychosocial safety, and there is no psychosocial safety without equity.
Author Correction: The IDEAL framework for surgical robotics: development, comparative evaluation and long-term monitoring (Nature Medicine, (2024), 30, 1, (61-75), 10.1038/s41591-023-02732-7) Hani J. Marcus, Pedro T. Ramirez, Danyal Z. Khan, Hugo Layard Horsfall, John G. Hanrahan, Simon C. Williams, David J. Beard, Rani Bhat, Ken Catchpole, Andrew Cook, Katrina Hutchison, Janet Martin, Tom Melvin, Danail Stoyanov, Maroeska Rovers, Nicholas Raison, Prokar Dasgupta, David Noonan, Deborah Stocken, Georgia Sturt, Anne Vanhoestenberghe, Baptiste Vasey, Peter McCulloch, Aswin Chari, Fanny Ficuciello, Effy Vayena, Christopher Baber, Marco Zenati, Alan Kuntz, Karen Kerr, Nigel Horwood, Katherine Anderon, Ka-Wai Kwok, Rich Mahoney, Bill Peine, Ferdinando Rodriquez Y. Baena, Pietro Valdastri, Richard Leparmentier, Len Evans, Rebecca Langley, Garnette Sutherland, Sanju Lama, Naeem Soomro, Justin Collins, Mario M. Leitao, James Kinross, Alvin Goh, Bernard Park, Matthias Weigl, Rebecca Randell, Steven Yule, Duncan McPherson, Laura Pickup, Richard Skipworth, Jennifer Anger, Denny Yu, Lora Cavuoto, Ann Bisantz, Tara Cohen, Mirre Scholte, Guy Maddern, Laura Sampietro-Colom, Alane Clark, Tammy J. Clifford, Belen Corbacho, Cynthia Iglesias, Janneke Grutters, Katrina Hutchinson, Lesley Booth, Heather Draper, Len Evans, Sarah Goering, Alexander A. Kon, Rebecca Langley, Rob Sparrow, Kamran Ahmed, Deena Harji, Teodor Grantcharov, Lars Konge, Art Sedrakyan, Joel Horowitz, Arsenio Paez, , , , , , , , , and Nature Medicine, 2024
Human Factors Integration in Robotic Surgery Ken Catchpole, Tara Cohen, Myrtede Alfred, Sam Lawton, Falisha Kanji, Daniel Shouhed, Lynne Nemeth, Jennifer Anger Human Factors, 2024
The IDEAL framework for surgical robotics: development, comparative evaluation and long-term monitoring Hani J. Marcus, Pedro T. Ramirez, Danyal Z. Khan, Hugo Layard Horsfall, John G. Hanrahan, Simon C. Williams, David J. Beard, Rani Bhat, Ken Catchpole, Andrew Cook, Katrina Hutchison, Janet Martin, Tom Melvin, Danail Stoyanov, Maroeska Rovers, Nicholas Raison, Prokar Dasgupta, David Noonan, Deborah Stocken, Georgia Sturt, Anne Vanhoestenberghe, Baptiste Vasey, Peter McCulloch, , , Aswin Chari, Fanny Ficuciello, Effy Vayena, Christopher Baber, Marco Zenati, Alan Kuntz, Karen Kerr, Nigel Horwood, , Katherine Anderon, Ka-Wai Kwok, Rich Mahoney, Bill Peine, Ferdinando Rodriquez Y. Baena, Pietro Valdastri, Richard Leparmentier, Len Evans, Rebecca Langley, , Garnette Sutherland, Sanju Lama, Naeem Soomro, Justin Collins, Mario M. Leitao, James Kinross, Alvin Goh, Bernard Park, , Matthias Weigl, Rebecca Randell, Steven Yule, Duncan McPherson, Laura Pickup, Richard Skipworth, Jennifer Anger, Denny Yu, Lora Cavuoto, Ann Bisantz, Tara Cohen, , Mirre Scholte, Guy Maddern, Laura Sampietro-Colom, Alane Clark, Tammy J. Clifford, Belen Corbacho, Cynthia Iglesias, Janneke Grutters, , Katrina Hutchinson, Lesley Booth, Heather Draper, Len Evans, Sarah Goering, Alexander A. Kon, Rebecca Langley, Rob Sparrow, , Kamran Ahmed, Deena Harji, Teodor Grantcharov, Lars Konge, , Art Sedrakyan, Joel Horowitz, Arsenio Paez Nature Medicine, 2024
A better way: training for direct observations in healthcare Myrtede Alfred, John Del Gaizo, Falisha Kanji, Samuel Lawton, Ashley Caron, Lynne S Nemeth, A V Alekseyenko, Daniel Shouhed, Stephen Savage, Jennifer T Anger, Ken Catchpole, Tara Cohen BMJ Quality and Safety, 2022
Room size influences flow in robotic-assisted surgery Falisha Kanji, Tara Cohen, Myrtede Alfred, Ashley Caron, Samuel Lawton, Stephen Savage, Daniel Shouhed, Jennifer T. Anger, Ken Catchpole International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021
Human Factors Principles of Surgery Tara N. Cohen, Eric J. Ley, Bruce L. Gewertz Human Factors in Surgery Enhancing Safety and Flow in Patient Care, 2020
Performance improvement in surgery Rodrigo F. Alban, Emily C. Anania, Tara N. Cohen, Peter J. Fabri, Bruce L. Gewertz, Monica Jain, Jeffrey K. Jopling, Paul M. Maggio, Juan A. Sanchez, Harry C. Sax Current Problems in Surgery, 2019
Simulation as a catalyst for surgical teamwork: Insights from a high-fidelity trauma training experience G Barmparas, A Marselian, F Kanji, H Ravi, BL Gewertz, T Cohen Surgery 194, 110149 , 2026 2026
Rethinking CPR Training: When the “man” in manikin affects performance, a randomized crossover simulation study P Nawathe, FF Kanji, E Esteves, Y Cui, RD Metcalfe-Smith, T Cohen Resuscitation Plus, 101364 , 2026 2026
Disruptive Behaviors in the Operating Room: The Paradox of Surgical Excellence TN Cohen, BL Gewertz, TK Rosengart, E Salas Human Factors in Healthcare, 100140 , 2026 2026
IP51-17 IMPACT OF EXECUTIVE ORDER 14183 ON TRANSGENDER AND NONBINARY US SERVICE MEMBERS’ACCESS TO GENDER AFFIRMING SURGERY G Bhushan, S Parija, K Okamuro, V Trasvina, C Mardonez-Segovia, ... Journal of Urology 215 (5S), e1048 , 2026 2026
Interdisciplinary operating room ergonomics needs and priorities: a survey of operating room staff A Mah, F Alam, J Larouche, MA Dandal, T Cohen, S Hallbeck, H Norasi, ... Annals of surgery 283 (5), 769-775 , 2026 2026 Citations: 9
Patient and clinician perspectives on misgendering in healthcare K Okamuro, A Card, HJ Barton, F Kanji, V Trasvina, J Blumenthal, ... BMJ quality & safety 35 (4), 257-265 , 2026 2026 Citations: 4
The perceived impact of executive order 14183 on transgender and nonbinary US Service members K Okamuro, AR Schneeberger, HJ Barton, C Mardonez-Segovia, ... International Journal of Transgender Health, 1-15 , 2026 2026
IMPACT OF EXECUTIVE ORDER 14183 ON TRANSGENDER AND NONBINARY US SERVICE MEMBERS'ACCESS TO GENDER AFFIRMING SURGERY K Okamuro, G Bhushan, A Schneeberger, V Trasvina, S Parija, H Barton, ... NEUROUROLOGY AND URODYNAMICS 45 , 2026 2026
Trials and Tribulations of a Urinary Incontinence Screening Tool FF Kanji, T Cohen, CS Burton, C Bresee, J Pevnick, T Nuckols, N Wenger, ... Urogynecology 32 (2), 142-148 , 2026 2026
Beyond awareness: building human factors capability in healthcare through shared resources TN Cohen, Y Bitan Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety , 2026 2026
Uncovering safety risks across multispecialty: A Human Factor Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) based observational study in cardiovascular, orthopedic, trauma care … A Khan, T Cohen, SA Shappell, AJ Boquet Journal of Healthcare Risk Management 45 (3), 5-15 , 2026 2026 Citations: 1
The Safety Action Feedback and Engagement (SAFE) Loop: Preliminary Analysis of Key Implementation Factors N Qureshi, B Truong, C Berdahl, B Coleman, T Cohen, F Kanji, A Henreid, ... 18 th Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation , 2025 2025
The Safety Action Feedback and Engagement (SAFE) Loop: Advancing Hospital Incident Reporting to Enhance Patient Safety E Seferian, C Berdahl, B Coleman, D Leang, T Cohen, N Qureshi, ... 18 th Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation , 2025 2025
What Saves a Patient? A Human Factors Approach to Understanding Near Misses in the ICU H Ravi, A Marselian, F Kanji, T Cohen The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety , 2025 2025
Uncovering latent failures using human factors approach as a diagnostic tool for quality improvement in orthopedic surgery A Khan, T Cohen, SA Shappell, AJ Boquet American Journal of Medical Quality 40 (6), 255-260 , 2025 2025 Citations: 4
Pre-Op Pitfalls: Investigating Delays in Surgical Start Times at A Large Medical Center H Ravi, A Marselian, F Kanji, T Cohen Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting 69 (1 … , 2025 2025
Under pressure: live observation of ergonomic challenges in the operating room J Hallet, R Sohi, S Sriram, S Dales, A Ding, J Larouche, T Cohen, ... British Journal of Surgery 112 (8), znaf158 , 2025 2025 Citations: 2
IP25-13 IDENTIFYING BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS TO AFFIRMING CARE FOR ADULT GENDERQUEER AND NONBINARY PATIENTS: PATIENT AND CLINICIAN PERSPECTIVES S Sidhu, A Card, V Trasvina, H Barton, K Okamuro, F Kanji, T Cohen, ... Journal of Urology 213 (5S), e1288 , 2025 2025
Training Hospital Nurses to Write Detailed Narratives and Describe Contributing Factors in Incident Reports: The SAFER Education Program TN Cohen, TK Nuckols, CT Berdahl, EG Seferian, SG McCleskey, ... The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety 51 (4), 305-311 , 2025 2025 Citations: 2
Gaps in workplace injury reporting among physicians to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics AT Gabrielson, K Chrouser, MS Hallbeck, T Cohen, C Corwin Journal of occupational and environmental medicine 67 (3), e158-e165 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Understanding the “Swiss Cheese Model” and its application to patient safety DA Wiegmann, LJ Wood, TN Cohen, SA Shappell Journal of patient safety 18 (2), 119-123 , 2022 2022 Citations: 196
Assessment of the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS): Intra-rater and inter-rater reliability A Ergai, T Cohen, J Sharp, D Wiegmann, A Gramopadhye, S Shappell Safety science 82, 393-398 , 2016 2016 Citations: 196
Human factors integration in robotic surgery K Catchpole, T Cohen, M Alfred, S Lawton, F Kanji, D Shouhed, L Nemeth, ... Human factors 66 (3), 683-700 , 2024 2024 Citations: 72
Identifying workflow disruptions in the cardiovascular operating room TN Cohen, JS Cabrera, OD Sisk, KL Welsh, JH Abernathy, ST Reeves, ... Anaesthesia 71 (8), 948-954 , 2016 2016 Citations: 71
Imaging utilization affects negative appendectomy rates in appendicitis: an ACS-NSQIP study J Tseng, T Cohen, N Melo, RF Alban The American Journal of Surgery 217 (6), 1094-1098 , 2019 2019 Citations: 68
Evaluating the reliability of the human factors analysis and classification system TN Cohen, DA Wiegmann, SA Shappell Aerospace medicine and human performance 86 (8), 728-735 , 2015 2015 Citations: 67
Using HFACS-healthcare to identify systemic vulnerabilities during surgery TN Cohen, SE Francis, DA Wiegmann, SA Shappell, BL Gewertz American Journal of Medical Quality 33 (6), 614-622 , 2018 2018 Citations: 65
Using escape rooms for conducting team research: understanding development, considerations, and challenges TN Cohen, AC Griggs, JR Keebler, EH Lazzara, SM Doherty, FF Kanji, ... Simulation & Gaming 51 (4), 443-460 , 2020 2020 Citations: 60
Work-system interventions in robotic-assisted surgery: a systematic review exploring the gap between challenges and solutions F Kanji, K Catchpole, E Choi, M Alfred, K Cohen, D Shouhed, J Anger, ... Surgical endoscopy 35 (5), 1976-1989 , 2021 2021 Citations: 43
Intelligent emergency department: validation of sociometers to study workload D Yu, RC Blocker, MY Sir, MS Hallbeck, TR Hellmich, T Cohen, ... Journal of medical systems 40 (3), 53 , 2016 2016 Citations: 42
Optimizing the user experience: identifying opportunities to improve use of an inpatient portal DM Walker, T Menser, PY Yen, AS McAlearney Applied clinical informatics 9 (01), 105-113 , 2018 2018 Citations: 40
Advancing team cohesion: Using an escape room as a novel approach TN Cohen, AC Griggs, FF Kanji, KA Cohen, EH Lazzara, JR Keebler, ... Journal of Patient Safety and Risk Management 26 (3), 126-134 , 2021 2021 Citations: 37
Barriers to safety and efficiency in robotic surgery docking L Cofran, T Cohen, M Alfred, F Kanji, E Choi, S Savage, J Anger, ... Surgical endoscopy 36 (1), 206-215 , 2022 2022 Citations: 34
Proactive safety management in trauma care: applying the human factors analysis and classification system TN Cohen, JS Cabrera, TL Litzinger, KA Captain, MA Fabian, SG Miles, ... The Journal for Healthcare Quality (JHQ) 40 (2), 89-96 , 2018 2018 Citations: 32
Flow disruptions impacting the surgeon during cardiac surgery: defining the boundaries of the error space AJ Boquet, TN Cohen, ST Reeves, SA Shappell Perioperative Care and Operating Room Management 7, 1-6 , 2017 2017 Citations: 27
Room size influences flow in robotic-assisted surgery F Kanji, T Cohen, M Alfred, A Caron, S Lawton, S Savage, D Shouhed, ... International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18 (15), 7984 , 2021 2021 Citations: 26
Using broken windows theory as the backdrop for a proactive approach to threat identification in health care AJ Boquet, TN Cohen, JS Cabrera, TL Litzinger, KA Captain, MA Fabian, ... Journal of Patient Safety 17 (3), 182-188 , 2021 2021 Citations: 24
Discovering the barriers to efficient robotic operating room turnover time: perceptions vs. reality TN Cohen, JT Anger, K Shamash, KA Cohen, Y Nasseri, SE Francis, ... Journal of Robotic Surgery 14 (5), 717-724 , 2020 2020 Citations: 24
Distracted doctoring: the role of personal electronic devices in the operating room TN Cohen, SA Shappell, ST Reeves, AJ Boquet Perioperative Care and Operating Room Management 10, 10-13 , 2018 2018 Citations: 24
Demands of surgical teams in robotic-assisted surgery: an assessment of intraoperative workload within different surgical specialties J Zamudio, J Woodward, FF Kanji, JT Anger, K Catchpole, TN Cohen The American Journal of Surgery 226 (3), 365-370 , 2023 2023 Citations: 23