Measuring Physician Mental Workload

Reliability and Validity Assessment of a Brief Instrument

Datos Bibliográficos

ID9099640
AutoresDennis A Bertram (University at Buffalo, State University of New York, autor de correspondencia), Donald A Opila (University at Buffalo, State University of New York), Jeffrey L Brown (University at Buffalo, State University of New York), Susan J Gallagher (University at Buffalo, State University of New York), Richard W Schifeling (University at Buffalo, State University of New York), Irene S Snow (University at Buffalo, State University of New York), Charles O Hershey (University at Buffalo, State University of New York)
Año1992
Volumen30
Número2
Páginas95-104
Fecha de publicación1992-02-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaMedical Care (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0025-7079 • E-ISSN: 1537-1948
EditorialOvid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1097/00005650-199202000-00001
PMID1736023
OpenAlexW1972678265
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas6
Referencias citadas1

This study examined the reliability and validity of a brief six-item instrument to measure the mental workload experienced by residents for specific patient visits to an ambulatory care clinic. Participating in the study were twenty-two residents in postgraduate years 1 through 3 who were working in the general outpatient clinic of an inner city, private, nonprofit community hospital. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the instrument was 0.80. Findings supported several theory-based hypotheses on determinants and performance consequences of mental workload. Mental workload was positively correlated with fatigue (r = 0.42, P = 0.03) and inversely correlated with residents' self-rated experience with patients' problems (r = -0.65, P less than 0.001). Residents' performance was measured through self-ratings and faculty physicians' ratings. Mental workload was inversely correlated with self-rated performance (r = -0.67, P less than 0.001). The correlation of mental workload with faculty physician ratings that reflected the technical dimension of patient care (physician examination, medications, and procedures) was r = -0.38 (P = 0.04). With mental workload squared, the correlation was r = -0.45 (P = 0.02) and the form of the relationship, consistent with the hypothesis, was a slightly downward sloping curve. Limitations of this research are discussed as well as suggestions for further research

MEDLINE · Psychometrics · Reliability (semiconductor) · Validity · Workload · Applied Psychology · Clinical Psychology · Clinical Reasoning and Diagnostic Skills · Computer Science · Medicine · Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitation · Occupational Health and Safety Research · Psychology