Are You Paying Attention? Related Guidance on How Concepts of Attention May Inform Effective Time Sharing of Tasks in Emergency Medicine

摘要

To the Editor: We read with interest "Can You Multitask? Evidence and Limitations of Task Switching and Multitasking in Emergency Medicine"1 and we found it to be an important overview relevant to the work of emergency physicians. An improved understanding of multitasking (more appropriately, "time sharing" of tasks) and task switching will help emergency physicians provide safer patient care in the emergency department (ED). The authors accurately acknowledge that task switching in emergency medicine is often unavoidable, so the specialty will benefit by the identification and implementation of strategies for effective task switching. In describing mechanisms for efficient task switching, it is also important to discuss the concept of attention or how our mind best shares attention between different tasks. In this letter, we want to introduce the concept of attention, provide examples of tasks that can be most safely and effectively time shared, and note that these principles must be considered in designing tools for the time sharing and rapid switching of tasks necessary in the ED environment.