title: Using TURF to understand the functions of interruptions.
abstract: Interruptions are an often lamented and frequently studied aspect of clinical practice. However, some interruptions, such as updates on patient care decisions and notifications of detrimental patient lab values, are in fact necessary to the work process. In this paper, we explore the interruptions as an emergent feature of communication in teams. Looking beyond the frequency of interruptions, we consider the source and intent of interruptions with the goal of discovering the functions served by such communications. Furthermore, in this study of an emergency department, we classify interruptions into those activities that support required work and those interruptions that create unnecessary breaks in workflow. The intent of our larger body of work is to develop health information technology systems that support team efforts including the functions currently served by interruptions.
authors.affiliation: The National Center for Cognitive Informatics and Decision Making in Healthcare, Houston, TX ; School of Biomedical Informatics, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Vickie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: The National Center for Cognitive Informatics and Decision Making in Healthcare, Houston, TX ; Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Nnaemeka
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Okafor
authors.affiliation: The National Center for Cognitive Informatics and Decision Making in Healthcare, Houston, TX ; School of Biomedical Informatics, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Jiajie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: The National Center for Cognitive Informatics and Decision Making in Healthcare, Houston, TX ; School of Biomedical Informatics, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Franklin
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D057188:Workflow