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Synchronous communication facilitates interruptive workflow for attending physicians and nurses in clinical settings
Ashley Edwards1, Leslie-Anne Fitzpatrick, Sara Augustine
1Healthcare Innovation and Technology Lab, New York, NY 10032, USA.
International Journal of Medical Informatics
|June 2, 2009
Summary
Clinical communication is frequently interrupted, leading to multitasking and potential errors. This study highlights the disruptive nature of healthcare workflows and suggests improvements for communication tools.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Operations
- Clinical Workflow Analysis
- Human-Computer Interaction
Background:
- Inter-clinician communication is vital, comprising over half of healthcare information exchanges.
- Understanding communication behaviors and technology use is crucial for optimizing clinical workflows.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze inter-clinician communication behaviors and workflow patterns.
- To investigate the utilization of information communication technologies (ICTs) in clinical settings.
- To identify factors contributing to workflow interruptions.
Main Methods:
- A qualitative time-and-motion observational study was conducted.
- Seven attending physicians and two nurses were observed over five days.
- Communication events were tracked in real-time and analyzed.
Main Results:
- Clinicians spent most time on patient care, with significant time on indirect care like charting.
- Synchronous communication preferences resulted in frequent interruptions and multitasking.
- 42% of observed communication events were interruptions, with participants multitasking 14.8% of the time.
Conclusions:
- The clinical environment is highly interruptive, impacting communication efficiency.
- Frequent interruptions consume time and may increase the risk of medical errors.
- Workflow analysis can guide the development of communication tools to reduce interruptions.
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