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. 2022 Sep 1;18(6):e971-e978.
doi: 10.1097/PTS.0000000000000997. Epub 2022 Mar 25.

Differential Impact of Work Overload on Physicians' Attention: A Comparison Between Residential Fields

Talya Dolev  1 , Salman Zubedat  1 , Iris Manor  2 , Boaz Bloch  3 , Orna Blondheim  3 , Avi Avital
Affiliations

Differential Impact of Work Overload on Physicians' Attention: A Comparison Between Residential Fields

Talya Dolev et al. J Patient Saf. .

Abstract

Objectives: Medical errors cause tens of thousands of deaths annually and have a major impact on quality of care and management; however, it receives scant research and public awareness. This study aimed to examine the relation between workload-induced lack of sleep and attention failure, as indications for medical errors risk, among young residents.

Methods: We performed an evaluation of young physicians by the Test of Variables of Attention, before and after a 24-hour shift.

Results: Workload was manifested by 13% overall attention impairment at baseline, which increased to 34% with deficiencies below the normal range after the shift. Attention measures differed between physicians of each residential field at baseline, but to greater extent after the shift.

Conclusions: Traditional working schedule is strongly associated with attention failure. Based on the literature linking attention failures to medical errors, we suggest a regulatory change regarding residents' shift duration to decrease preventable errors.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors disclose no conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Variables of TOVA before and after a shift across residency fields. A–F, Valued in SSs. B and D, CO-SS and RTV-SS significantly decreased in all residencies. A, E, and F, OM-SS, D-prime–SS, and ACS significantly decreased in all residencies but the ICU. C, RT-SS significantly decreased in all residencies but the ICU and psychiatry. The decrease in RTV-SS, OM-SS, D-prime–SS, and ACS exceeded the normal range for some residencies. Data are presented as average ± SD; SSs of 80–85 are considered borderline, and SSs <80 are not within normal limits (<0 for ACS). *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001. ACS, attention comparison score; CO, commissions; OM, omissions; RTV, RT variability.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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