ArticlePloS one2017
Computer usage and task-switching during resident's working day: Disruptive or not?
Article in PloS one, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed.
- Annual Patient EXposure of residents in training over 20 years (APEX-trial): a retrospective analysis from a public teaching hospital.BMJ open · 2026Article
- Article
- Paediatric resident workflow observations in a community-based hospital.BMJ open quality · 2022Article
- Observational
- Implementation of a Digitally Enabled Care Pathway (Part 2): Qualitative Analysis of Experiences of Health Care Professionals.Journal of medical Internet research · 2019Article
- Why Residency Programs Should Not Ignore the Electronic Heath Record after Adoption.Perspectives in health information managemen · 2019Article
- Article
- Quantifying the Impact of Trainee Providers on Outpatient Clinic Workflow using Secondary EHR Data.AMIA ... Annual Symposium proceedings. AMIA Symposium · 2017Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundRecent implementation of electronic health records (EHR) has dramatically changed medical ward organization. While residents in general internal medicine use EHR systems half of their working time, whether computer usage impacts residents' workflow remains uncertain. We aimed to observe the frequency of task-switches occurring during resident's work and to assess whether computer usage was associated with task-switching.
methodsIn a large Swiss academic university hospital, we conducted, between May 26 and July 24, 2015 a time-motion study to assess how residents in general internal medicine organize their working day.
resultsWe observed 49 day and 17 evening shifts of 36 residents, amounting to 697 working hours. During day shifts, residents spent 5.4 hours using a computer (mean total working time: 11.6 hours per day). On average, residents switched 15 times per hour from a task to another. Task-switching peaked between 8:00-9:00 and 16:00-17:00. Task-switching was not associated with resident's characteristics and no association was found between task-switching and extra hours (Spearman r = 0.220, p = 0.137 for day and r = 0.483, p = 0.058 for evening shifts). Computer usage occurred more frequently at the beginning or ends of day shifts and was associated with decreased overall task-switching.
conclusionTask-switching occurs very frequently during resident's working day. Despite the fact that residents used a computer half of their working time, computer usage was associated with decreased task-switching. Whether frequent task-switches and computer usage impact the quality of patient care and resident's work must be evaluated in further studies.
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Registered trials
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