title: Multidimensional work sampling to study the activities of decentralized clinical pharmacists.
abstract: Self-reported multidimensional work sampling (MDWS) was used to study the activities of decentralized clinical pharmacists at six hospitals in Portland, Oregon, and Seattle-Tacoma, Washington, in March through June 1989. A community hospital, a university hospital, and a hospital associated with a health maintenance association were selected in each city, and pharmacists at each site who provided clinical services were recruited. Each pharmacist wore a random reminder device and recorded the activity during which the device sounded by writing on a card numbers assigned to describe work activity, contact, location, and function. Of 6609 classifiable observations, 34.5% (2280) were of clinical activities and 35.8% distributive activities. Pharmacists spent 28.6% of their clinical time reviewing and assessing patients' charts, 17.1% on clinical rounds, 15.9% on activities related to therapeutic drug monitoring, 10.2% providing drug information, 11.6% attending or giving formal education, 6.1% doing research, and 2.6% attending meetings. The average pharmacist spent less than 10 minutes each day with patients but spent a substantial portion of time providing clinical services to other health professionals. Self-reported, multidimensional work sampling appears to be a valuable method for describing and monitoring decentralized pharmacists' work activities at multiple sites and work settings.
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy Health Care Administration, University of Florida, Gainesville.
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Ried
authors.forename: T E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: West
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Force
mesh_terms: D006764:Hospitals, Community; D016304:Hospitals, Private; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D009922:Oregon; D010595:Pharmacists; D010607:Pharmacy Service, Hospital / Q000145:classification / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D014861:Washington