Interruptions in clinical workflow, occurring during electronic medical record (EMR) documentation and direct patient care, could have adverse effects on patient care, according to a study published March 9 in the International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction.
For nurses, answering a phone call or a coworker’s question while otherwise busy could affect patient care. In this study, researchers evaluated the impact of such interruptions in the emergency department.
Researchers conducted the study at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, over the course of a week. Data were collected through observations of a group of nurses while they performed clinical including direct care, documentation and social breaks.
Two simulation models were created from the data—one showing how efficient the workflow was without interruptions and the other showing the impact of interruptions.
"Our analysis showed that when emergency department nurses were interrupted in patient care activities, their workload was about two times higher," said Jung Hyup Kim, an assistant professor in the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering in the MU College of Engineering. "When electronic medical documentation was added to those tasks, the workload was about four times higher than in a non-interruption scenario. Our study showed that ED nurses should be trained to avoid answering questions or non-emergency phone calls while delivering direct care to patients and while engaged in EMR documentation. Also, relatives of patients should allow the health care worker to perform critical duties without interruption."
Cara joined TriMed Media in 2016 and is currently a Senior Writer for Clinical Innovation & Technology. Originating from Detroit, Michigan, she holds a Bachelors in Health Communications from Grand Valley State University.