Podcast #201: Task Interruption

Author: Mark Kozlowski M.D.

Educational Pearls:

• Humans cannot “multitask” effectively - a more accurate term is “task interruption.”
• When doing more than one task at once, we are more likely to forget key details and perform both tasks more slowly overall.
• Do not interrupt people who are focusing on critical tasks - programming a pump or drawing up doses.
• Think about ways to reduce task interruption in your hospital for a better clinical practice.

References: Westbrook JI, Woods A, Rob MI, Dunsmuir WTM, Day RO. Association of Interruptions With an Increased Risk and Severity of Medication Administration Errors. Arch Intern Med. 2010;170(8):683-690. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2010.65