Interruptions and multi-tasking: moving the research agenda in new directions.

Johanna I. Westbrook

Commentary

Interruptions and multi-tasking: moving the research agenda in new directions.

September 10, 2014

Westbrook JI. BMJ Qual Saf. 2014;23(11):877-9.

View more articles from the same authors.

Exploring the existing evidence on interruptions in health care, this commentary reveals that most studies focus on the rate of interruptions rather than the relationship between interruptions and errors. The author calls for research to evaluate how use of multitasking behaviors to manage interruptions and to differentiate between appropriate interruptions that prevent errors and those that contribute to preventable harm.

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