Robert L. Wears (1947 – July 15, 2017[1]) was an American medical doctor, professor of emergency medicine, and safety researcher[1][2] who integrated human factors in healthcare,[3] doing studies of technical work in complex socio-technical systems, joint and distributed cognitive systems, and the impact of information technology on safety and resilient performance.
[1] Described as one of the country's leading experts in patient safety[4] and emergency medicine,[5] Wears published over 400 articles, books, and book chapters related to patient safety, resilient health care, and emergency medicine.
[4] In 1995, Wears earned a master's degree in computer science from the University of North Florida,[4][8] and in 2011 he obtained his PhD in industrial safety[4][8] from the Ecole Nationale Superior des Mines de Paris Centre de Recherché sur les Risques et les Crises, graduating with honors.
In 2013, Wears was appointed to a three-year term as a University of Florida Research Foundation professor.
[4] Wears was a member of multiple professional societies and organizations, including the National Center for Human Factors in Healthcare, and served on the board of directors for the Emergency Medicine Patient Safety Foundation.