Interruptions in a dental setting and evaluating the efficacy of an intervention: A pilot study

Interruptions during dental treatment are frequent, and often impact provider satisfaction and processing times We investigate the source and duration of such interruptions at a German dental clinic.

A pre-post approach was adopted at this dental clinic. This included direct observations of 3 dentists and 3 dental hygienists, and a survey of providers. Following that, an intervention (switchable 'Do Not Enter' sign) was chosen, and a pilot study was conducted to evaluate if the chosen intervention can reduce processing time and improve provider satisfaction. Additional observations and surveys were performed afterwards.

Pre-intervention data indicated that interruptions have the highest negative impact on provider satisfaction at this clinic as well as on processing time during longer and more complex treatments, where a minor error due to an interruption could lead to rework of 30 minutes and more. The total number of interruptions dropped by 72.5% after the intervention, short interruptions (< 1min) by 86%. Provider survey indicated improvement due to the intervention in perceived workload, provider work satisfaction, patient safety and stress.

This study demonstrates that a switchable sign can substantially reduce the number of interruptions in this dental clinic. It also shows the potential of improving the work environment by reducing interruptions to the dental providers.