A survey of time management and particular tasks undertaken by consultant microbiologists in the UK
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Terry Riordan1, Keith Cartwright, Richard Cunningham
1Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, Church Lane, Heavitree, Exeter, UK. terry.riordan@rdeft.nhs.uk
Background:
Medical microbiology practice encompasses a diverse range of activities. Consultant medical microbiologists (CMMs) attribute widely differing priorities to, and spend differing proportions of time on various components of the job.
Aim:
To obtain a professional consensus on what are high-priority and low-priority activities, and to identify the time spent on low-priority activities.
Method:
National survey.
Results:
Many respondents felt that time spent on report authorisation and telephoning of results was excessive, whereas time spent on ward-based work was inadequate. Timesaving could also be achieved through better prioritisation of infection-control activities.
Conclusion:
CMMs should apportion their time at work focusing on high-priority activities identified through professional consensus.
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