Measuring the relationship between interruptions, multitasking and prescribing errors in an emergency department: a...

Area of Science:

• Clinical Medicine
• Patient Safety
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Interruptions and multitasking are common in clinical settings.
• Cognitive psychology shows these factors impair performance and increase errors.
• Less is known about their specific impact on clinical work errors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the relationship between prescribing errors, interruptions, and multitasking in an emergency department (ED).
• To quantify the impact of interruptions and multitasking on medication prescribing errors.

Main Methods:

• Direct observation of doctors in an ED using the Work Observation Method by Activity Timing (WOMBAT) tool.
• Recording tasks, interruptions, multitasking prompts, and prescribing details.
• Clinical pharmacist review of medication orders to identify prescribing errors.
• Statistical modeling to analyze associations between error rates and interruption/multitasking rates.

Main Results:

• Data collection via direct observation and chart review.
• Calculation of prescribing error rates per task.
• Analysis of the association between prescribing errors and rates of interruptions and multitasking.

Conclusions:

• Findings will inform strategies to mitigate risks associated with interruptions and multitasking in clinical settings.
• Dissemination of results through publications and feedback to the ED to enhance patient safety.