Congratulations to Raj Ratwani, PhD, director of the MedStar Health National Center for Human Factors in Healthcare and associate professor of the Georgetown University School of Medicine, for receiving the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Earl Alluisi Award for Early Career Achievement. The award is given annually to psychologists who, within 10 years of receiving their PhD, have made remarkable contributions to the field through research and publications, novel technology or techniques, theoretical advancements, and more. It is sponsored by APA’s Division 21, whose members work to advance the field of applied experimental and engineering psychology. The MedStar Health Human Factors Center is part of the MedStar Institute for Innovation and works in partnership with MedStar Health Research Institute and others throughout MedStar Health.
In the seven years he has been with MedStar Health, Dr. Ratwani has been awarded more than 25 grants and contracts, published more than 30 articles, and delivered more than 27 invited international, national, and regional presentations—all in collaboration with his growing team.
The award, which emphasizes the translation of research into practice, recognizes Dr. Ratwani’s success in utilizing human factors science to impact healthcare operations and policy. His research on health information technology usability—and related work to advance patient safety and provider well-being—has been published in top-tier journals and was recently shared in a national campaign. Additionally, Dr. Ratwani’s research on interruptions and task resumption has informed innovative models that show the time cost of interruptions on physician workflow processes. These theoretical contributions lay the foundation for interventions that can prevent or mitigate interruption-related errors in health care.
In addition to his research efforts, Dr. Ratwani spearheads the continued growth of the MedStar Health Human Factors Center and has served as its leader since 2018. Currently, the Center has four active Research Project Grant (R01) awards from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, provides usability consultation and safety advisement to clients in and beyond MedStar Health, and works to expand the footprint of human factors through diverse education and outreach initiatives. Learn more about the Center’s latest work here.