Association of Interruptions With an Increased Risk and Severity of Medication Administration Errors

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Abstract
The argument that interruptions lead to errors is persuasive. Controlled laboratory studies of task interruptions have clearly demonstrated their contribution to task inefficiency and errors.1-3 Experimental studies suggest that interruptions produce negative impacts on memory by requiring individuals to switch attention from one task to another. Returning to a disrupted task requires completion of the interrupting task and then regaining the context of the original task.2,4 In surveys and retrospective accounts of adverse incidents, interruptions have been implicated,5 yet real-world evidence of the relationship between interruptions and clinical errors is scarce.6