Observation session data
| Variables | Mean/median (IQR*) | P value | |
| Hours observed per resident | 3.2/3.6 (1.4) | N/A | |
| Interruptions per resident per hour | 5.9/5.0 (4.3) | N/A | |
| Resumption interval (min) | 1.7/0.0† (0.6) | N/A | |
| Breakdown by hospital observation site | Ward | ED | |
| Interruptions per resident per hour | 5.7/4.1 (4.4) | 6.4/5.9 (3.1) | 0.30 |
| Resumption interval (min) | 2.0/0.0 (0.7) | 1.0/0.0 (0.5) | 0.16 |
| Interruption type | Frequency (%) | ||
| Verbal by medical team, patient related | 139 (59%) | 73 (82%) | <0.0001 |
| Pager/phone, patient related | 66 (28%) | 6 (7%) | |
| Personal/social related | 19 (8%) | 3 (3%) | |
| Other clerical related | 7 (3%) | 4 (5%) | |
| Patient/family in-person | 5 (2%) | 3 (3%) | |
*IQR, or the 75%tile−the 25%tile. Median and IQR are also reported as data were not normally distributed.
†A resumption interval of 0.0 min indicated immediate return to a prior task following an interruption.
ED, emergency department.