Perceived cognitive load among emergency department code blue teams: distribution, correlates and relationship with...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Emergency Medicine
• Human Factors Engineering

Background:

• Advanced life support algorithms standardize cardiac arrest care.
• Clinical resuscitation demands coordination, adaptation, and decision-making under pressure.
• This study investigates perceived cognitive load and team performance in emergency departments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine perceived cognitive load across different roles in resuscitation teams.
• To assess the association between cognitive load and team performance.
• To identify factors influencing cognitive load during clinical resuscitations.

Main Methods:

• Multicentre cross-sectional study with prospective data collection.
• Perceived cognitive load measured using the Paas 9-point mental effort scale.
• Team performance assessed via the Team Emergency Assessment Measure (TEAM).

Main Results:

• 58 resuscitations and 228 observations were analyzed.
• Cognitive load was highest for team leaders (mean 5.5).
• Higher leader cognitive load correlated with increased member load and decreased TEAM performance.

Conclusions:

• Cognitive load is unevenly distributed in resuscitation teams, peaking with leaders.
• Team leader cognitive load significantly impacts overall team performance.
• Targeting leader cognitive load is crucial for improving resuscitation outcomes.