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Improving our understanding of multi-tasking in healthcare: Drawing together the cognitive psychology and healthcare literature
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Improving our understanding of multi-tasking in healthcare: Drawing together the cognitive psychology and healthcare literature

H.E. Douglas, M.Z. Raban, S.R. Walter and J.I. Westbrook
Applied Ergonomics, Vol.59(A), pp.45-55
2017
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Abstract

Multi-tasking is an important skill for clinical work which has received limited research attention. Its impacts on clinical work are poorly understood. In contrast, there is substantial multi-tasking research in cognitive psychology, driver distraction, and human-computer interaction. This review synthesises evidence of the extent and impacts of multi-tasking on efficiency and task performance from health and non-healthcare literature, to compare and contrast approaches, identify implications for clinical work, and to develop an evidence-informed framework for guiding the measurement of multi-tasking in future healthcare studies. The results showed healthcare studies using direct observation have focused on descriptive studies to quantify concurrent multi-tasking and its frequency in different contexts, with limited study of impact. In comparison, non-healthcare studies have applied predominantly experimental and simulation designs, focusing on interleaved and concurrent multi-tasking, and testing theories of the mechanisms by which multi-tasking impacts task efficiency and performance. We propose a framework to guide the measurement of multi-tasking in clinical settings that draws together lessons from these siloed research efforts.

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
International collaboration
Citation topics
1 Clinical & Life Sciences
1.14 Nursing
1.14.288 Pharmacovigilance
Web Of Science research areas
Engineering, Industrial
Ergonomics
Psychology, Applied
ESI research areas
Engineering
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