Associations of professional activities and workflow interruptions in acute care: An observational study in emergency department work

Marsall, Matthias ; Schneider, Anna ; Wehler, Markus und Weigl, Matthias (2025): Associations of professional activities and workflow interruptions in acute care: An observational study in emergency department work. In: Journal of Patient Safety and Risk Management, Bd. 30, Nr. 5

Abstract

Background: Workflow interruptions, especially in acute care, are a ubiquitous challenge. Concerning coordination and fast responses in complex work, interruptions foster inter-professional communication. Conversely, interruptions cause attention and task breaks, promoting potential errors or jeopardizing safe care. To mitigate the effects of workflow interruptions on care performance and patient safety, we need to understand the influence of provider tasks on the occurrence of workflow interruptions. Our aim was to investigate the likelihood of work interruptions related to provider activities.

Methods: Expert observations were conducted in an Academic Emergency Department with a standardized assessment of provider activities and workflow interruptions. A total of 160 observation sessions with nurses and physicians were analyzed. We ran multivariate logistic regression models to determine associations between provider tasks and workflow interruptions while controlling for confounders.

Results: On average, providers were interrupted 7.68 times per hour. Most interruptions stemmed from communication within the same profession (28.8%) and with other professionals (27.0%). During documentation and charting, interruptions were 2.5 times more likely than during patient communication. Likewise, diagnostic and therapeutic activities as well as coordination tasks were associated with higher odds of interruptions. Concerning individual interruptions sources, members of the same professional group were more likely to interrupt in a variety of activities. Yet, staff of other professions merely interrupted during charting and documentation.

Conclusions: Our findings reveal that providers engaged in charting and documentation face a higher likelihood of being interrupted. Interventions to mitigate interruptions in acute care should consider the dynamic interplay of tasks and the purpose of interruptions.

• Dokumententyp: Zeitschriftenartikel
• Fakultät: Medizin > Institut und Poliklinik für Arbeits-, Sozial- und Umweltmedizin
• Themengebiete: 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften > 610 Medizin und Gesundheit
• ISSN: 2516-0435
• Sprache: Englisch