Abstract
Emergency medicine (EM) is a dynamic specialty requiring the practitioner to interpret and respond to multiple, sometimes competing, inputs of information. It is essential for EM physicians to know how to handle this workload in a safe and efficient manner. The authors of this chapter discuss the difference between multitasking and rapid task switching, the dangers of interruptions and task breaks, the effect of age on working memory, and strategies for success in the emergency department and reflect on their personal experiences working in such a busy environment. After reading this chapter, readers will hopefully be more aware of how the mind handles multiple tasks at once, best practices in information management, and real-life application.
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Forty, T., Webb, J. (2023). Multitasking and Rapid Task Switching. In: Olympia, R.P., Werley, E.B., Lubin, J.S., Yoon-Flannery, K. (eds) An Emergency Physician’s Path. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-47873-4_62
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-47873-4_62
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