The effect of distraction on the quality of patient handoff: a randomized study

Abstract

Objective: The number of patient handoffs has increased in recent years. In addition, technology has advanced in the medical field, leading to most providers carrying smartphones at work. Little is known about the effect of mobile devices and quality of patient handoffs. The objective of this study was to determine whether distraction affects the quality of sign-out among obstetrical providers.

Design: A randomized, prospective study was conducted.

Setting: Hospital.

Participants intervention: Obstetrical providers listened to a recorded sign-out vignette. Provider groups either were or were not exposed to a distraction while listening to the vignette. All providers had been told that they would be participating in a trial of two methods of sign-out, although in actuality they were all assigned to a single method. In the distraction arm, the participants were exposed to a 'distracting event' (a phone ring, which was answered by the proctor and followed by a brief conversation) that occurred midway through the vignette.

Main outcome measure: Providers answered a 14-question survey testing recall of facts included in the vignette. The results of each group were analyzed using Fisher's exact test and Student's t-test.

Results: Eighty-eight providers were randomized, 44 in the distraction group and 44 in the non-distracted group. The average scores on the survey were similar between groups (11.0 and 10.8, P = 0.57). In addition, the average scores for questions that occurred after the distraction did not differ between the distracted and non-distracted groups (6.4 vs 6.2, P = 0.42).

Conclusions: We observed that a phone ring and brief response did not affect the obstetrical providers' recall of details of a standardized sign-out. More studies are warranted to determine if more frequent or longer distractions would change results.

Keywords: SBAR; cell phone; distraction; patient handoff; patient sign-out.