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BJA Advance Access originally published online on September 22, 2009
British Journal of Anaesthesia 2009 103(5):665-669; doi:10.1093/bja/aep268
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© The Author [2009]. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Journal of Anaesthesia. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournal.org

A novel method of measuring the mental workload of anaesthetists during simulated practice

D. H. J. Davis1, M. Oliver1 and A. J. Byrne2,*

1 Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University NHS Trust, Morriston Hospital, Swansea SA6 6NL, UK
2 School of Medicine, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK

* Corresponding author. E-mail: a.byrne{at}swansea.ac.uk

Background: Cognitive overload has been recognized as a significant cause of error in industries such as aviation, and measuring mental workload has become a key method of improving safety. The aim of this study was to pilot the use of a new method of measuring mental workload using a previously published study design.

Methods: Ten trainee anaesthetists were exposed to a simulated crisis, similar to that used in a previous study. The mental workload of the trainees was assessed by measuring their response times to a wireless vibrotactile device.

Results: Although all subjects treated the ‘patient’ adequately, response times increased significantly during the crisis (P=0.005). These findings are consistent with increased mental workload and with the findings of other studies using similar techniques.

Conclusions: These findings confirm the importance of mental workload to the performance of anaesthetists, and suggest that raised mental workload is likely to be a common problem. Although further studies are required, the method described may provide a useful method for the measurement of the mental workload of anaesthetists.

Keywords: education; human error; risk; safety, patient safety; simulation; training


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