Table 1 Characteristics of distractions
From: Effect of extended visiting hours on physician distractions in the ICU: a before-and-after study
Variables studied | Restricted visiting hours | Extended visiting hours | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
Sessions observed | 38 | 39 | NA |
Total observation time, h | 100.4 | 117 | NA |
Number of distractions | 444 | 585 | NA |
Start time of sessions observed | |||
 Morning (07.30–12.00), n (%) | 23 (60.5) | 21 (53.8) | 0.554 |
 Afternoon (12.00–17.30), n (%) | 15 (39.5) | 18 (46.2) | |
Frequency of distractions/h, mean ± SD | 4.36 ± 2.27 | 5.00 ± 2.68 | 0.262 |
Distraction duration (min), median (IQR) | 2 (2–4) | 1 (1–2) | < 0.001 |
Current activity at the time of distraction, n (%) | < 0.001 | ||
 Writing notes | 97 (21.8) | 150 (25.6) |  |
 Conducting ward round | 84 (18.9) | 35 (6.0) | |
 Entering treatment orders | 75 (16.9) | 148 (25.3) | |
 Reading notes | 61 (13.7) | 162 (27.7) | |
 Talking to a colleague | 47 (10.6) | 49 (8.4) | |
 Examining a patient | 37 (8.3) | 11 (1.9) | |
 Entering medication orders | 14 (3.2) | 3 (0.5) | |
 Performing non-sterile procedure | 11 (2.5) | 7 (1.2) | |
 Performing sterile procedure | 9 (2.0) | 9 (1.5) | |
 Talking to a patient | 3 (0.7) | 4 (0.7) | |
 Talking to a patient’s relative | 3 (0.7) | 6 (1.0) | |
 Performing resuscitation | 2 (0.5) | 0 (0.0) | |
 Giving medications | 1 (0.2) | 1 (0.2) | |
Type of distraction, n (%) | <0.001 | ||
 Asked to speak to colleague | 177 (39.9) | 367 (62.7) |  |
 Asked to write treatment orders | 61 (13.7) | 43 (7.4) | |
 Asked to attend to a patient | 61 (13.7) | 25 (4.3) | |
 Asked to sign a document | 31 (7.0) | 5 (0.9) | |
 Going to the toilet/going elsewhere | 30 (6.8) | 89 (15.2) | |
 Asked to perform a procedure | 29 (6.5) | 7 (1.2) | |
 Asked to speak to a patient’s relative | 25 (5.6) | 18 (3.1) | |
 Drinking/eating | 21 (4.7) | 14 (2.4) | |
 Asked to write medication orders | 7 (1.6) | 13 (2.2) | |
 Asked to administer medications | 2 (0.5) | 4 (0.7) | |
Source of distraction, n (%) | 0.026 | ||
 Other doctor | 156 (35.1) | 207 (35.4) |  |
 Nurse | 135 (30.4) | 147 (25.1) | |
 Self | 83 (18.7) | 164 (28.0) | |
 Phone call | 30 (6.8) | 28 (4.8) | |
 Other healthcare worker | 24 (5.4) | 21 (3.6) | |
 Relative | 14 (3.2) | 15 (2.6) | |
 Patient | 1 (0.2) | 2 (0.3) | |
 Monitor alarm | 1 (0.2) | 1 (0.2) | |
Severity of distraction, n (%) | <0.001 | ||
 No effect on activity | 13 (2.9) | 82 (14.0) |  |
 Momentary pausea | 136 (30.6) | 193 (33.0) | |
 Complete pauseb | 210 (47.3) | 288 (49.2) | |
 Abandons activity, attends to distraction | 85 (19.1) | 22 (3.8) | |