Open AccessNumber, nature & impact of incoming telephone calls on residents and their work during evening shifts
Author(s) -
Mwl van Geffen,
Koen M van der Waaij,
Patricia M. Stassen
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
acute medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.14
H-Index - 12
eISSN - 1747-4892
pISSN - 1747-4884
DOI - 10.52964/amja.0886
Subject(s) - evening , medicine , phone , observational study , compromise , psychological intervention , emergency department , work (physics) , work hours , medical emergency , workflow , phone call , family medicine , workload , emergency medicine , nursing , mechanical engineering , social science , philosophy , linguistics , physics , astronomy , sociology , computer science , engineering , management , economics , operating system
Background: Internal medicine residents are frequently interrupted by phone calls, which may compromise workflow, work quality and job satisfaction. Aim: This study investigates the number, nature and impact of calls on residents and their work during evening shifts in the emergency department and ward. Methods: This prospective observational study compares measurements from direct observations with subjective data from questionnaires. Results: Residents received 26 resp. 30 (median) calls per shift in the emergency department and ward, with duration of 50 resp. 80 seconds. Residents perceived high burden and impact on quality of work and job satisfaction. Discussion & Conclusion: Frequent interruptions by phone calls were observed, which resulted in high burden. Our study raises the urgency for finding solutions and provides insights necessary for possible interventions.