UW Medicine, Emergency Medicine, RESCU Center

Crew-Centered Ergonomic Redesign for Critical Interventions in Aeromedical Transport

Airlift Northwest conducts more than 4,000 critical care transports each year, often in small, vibration-filled aircraft where space is extremely limited. Crews must deliver life-saving care—such as airway management, blood transfusion, and medication control—under challenging ergonomic conditions. Evidence shows that most in-flight patient deterioration occurs within the first 30–50 minutes of transport, making efficient, safe crew movement and access to equipment essential. Current cabin layouts prioritize aircraft operations, not human performance. This project aimed to redesign cabin workspace and equipment placement to improve ergonomics and safety for Airlift Northwest crews while maintaining aviation compliance. The work focused on studying crew motion and workflow in simulated in-flight conditions, identifying ergonomic barriers, and developing redesigned layouts or modular equipment mounts to improve reach, posture, and task efficiency. Physical or virtual prototypes were used to demonstrate the feasibility of these concepts and support recommendations for implementation.