Multi-Tasking Assessment for Personnel Selection and Development

Fischer, Susan C.; Mautone, Patricia D.

doi:10.21236/ada437535

Cited by 3 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 30 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The MTAT (Cogniscient Research Solutions, LLC., Santa Barbara, CA) is an online text-based test requiring sorting objects (Figure 1) used in the military and healthcare contexts (Fischer & Mautone, 2005). There are three scored sessions lasting 20 minutes each.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As such, accuracy and efficiency can work either synergistically or in opposition, even though they are measured separately in trainees (Frederick et al, 2011). Simulations for patient care can capture the whole of multi-patient care, though, including multi-patient OSCEs (Chang & Weiner, 2016) and digital assessments like the Multitasking Aptitude Test (MTAT; Fischer & Mautone, 2005; Ledrick et al, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The Association Between Multitasking and Multi-Patient Care Skills in a Simulated Patient Care Video Game Among Second Year Medical Students Based on Specialty Choice

Korand

Fung

Cohen

et al. 2022

Simulation & Gaming

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background and Objective Healthcare providers require multitasking and multi-patient care skills, and training programs do not formally incorporate curricula specifically for multitasking skills to trainees. The medical education community is in equipoise on whether multitasking ability is a fixed trait. Furthermore, it is unclear whether multitasking ability affects those who gravitate toward careers that demand it, particularly among medical students deciding on a specialty. We sought to define the association between specialty choice, multitasking abilities and multi-patient care delivery among pre-clinical medical students. For this study, we examined both efficiency and accuracy metrics within multitasking and whether they were different between students choosing specialties. Methods This was a planned cross-sectional sub-study focused on 2nd year medical students (MS-IIs) within a parent study evaluating multi-patient care skills using a serious game (VitalSigns:EDTM) depicting a pediatric emergency department. Subjects completed a Multitasking Ability Test (MTAT) and five VitalSigns:ED gameplays. The predictor variable was specialty choice, categorized into multitasking and non-multitasking groups. Outcome variables measuring efficiency and diagnostic accuracy were obtained from the MTAT and the game. The primary analysis was a Mann–Whitney U test, and secondary analyses employed Spearman Rank correlations. Results Twelve students applied to multitasking specialties and 18 applied to others. Those in the multitasking specialties had faster MTAT completions than the other cohort (29.8 vs. 59.7 sec, 95%CI difference -0.9 to -39.8 sec). Differential diagnoses were higher in multitasking specialties in VitalSigns:ED (2.03 vs. 1.06, 95%CI difference +0.05 to +1.54) but efficiency metrics in the game did not differ. Conclusion Multitasking and multi-patient care performance show some association with preferred specialty choices for MS-IIs prior to clinical exposure.

show abstract

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Association Between Multitasking and Multi-Patient Care Skills in a Simulated Patient Care Video Game Among Second Year Medical Students Based on Specialty Choice

Korand

Fung

Cohen

et al. 2022

Simulation & Gaming

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The final domain combines the two prior domains into a separate phenomenon, most represented by the skill of multi-tasking (Adams & Rho, 2017; Fischer & Mautone, 2005; Skaugset et al, 2016), distinctly different from multi-patient care. While the concept of multi-tasking has different names, including polychronicity and task-switching, at its heart is the concept that a subject can switch and prioritize between different tasks (Lin et al, 2012; Lin & Lipsmeyer, 2019).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Multi-tasking requires context to manifest – in this case, multi-tasking in a PED setting. The tool to measure the multi-tasking domain in our study was the Multi-tasking Aptitude Test (MTAT) (Fischer & Mautone, 2005), previously used to evaluate multi-tasking ability by EM residents (Ledrick et al, 2009). Video game experience was also inserted here as familiarity with common game mechanics are likely to blend improvements in accuracy and efficiency.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Development and Performance Assessment of a Digital Serious Game to Assess Multi-Patient Care Skills in a Simulated Pediatric Emergency Department

Luu

Talbot

Fung

et al. 2020

Simulation & Gaming

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objective. Multi-patient care is important among medical trainees in an emergency department (ED). While resident efficiency is a typically measured metric, multi-patient care involves both efficiency and diagnostic / treatment accuracy. Multi-patient care ability is difficult to assess, though simulation is a potential alternative. Our objective was to generate validity evidence for a serious game in assessing multi-patient care skills among a variety of learners. Methods. This was a cross-sectional validation study using a digital serious game VitalSignsTM simulating multi-patient care within a pediatric ED. Subjects completed 5 virtual “shifts,” triaging, stabilizing, and discharging or admitting patients within a fixed time period; patients arrived at cascading intervals with pre-programmed deterioration if neglected. Predictor variables included generic multi-tasking ability, video game experience, medical knowledge, and clinical efficiency with real patients. Outcome metrics in 3 domains measured diagnostic accuracy (i.e. critical orders, diagnoses), efficiency (i.e. number of patients, time-to-order) and critical thinking (number of differential diagnoses); MANOVA determined differences between novice learners and expected expert physicians. Spearman Rank correlation determined associations between levels of expertise. Results. Ninety-five subjects’ gameplays were analyzed. Diagnostic accuracy and efficiency distinguished skill level between residency trained (residents, fellows and attendings) and pre-residency trained (medical students and undergraduate) subjects, particularly for critical orders, patients seen, and correct diagnoses (p < 0.003). There were moderate to strong correlations between the game’s diagnostic accuracy and efficiency metrics compared to level of training, including patients seen (rho = 0.47, p < 0.001); critical orders (rho = 0.80, p < 0.001); time-to-order (rho = −0.24, p = 0.025); and correct diagnoses (rho = 0.69, p < 0.001). Video game experience also correlated with patients seen (rho = 0.24, p = 0.003). Conclusion. A digital serious game depicting a busy virtual ED can distinguish between expected experts in multi-patient care at the pre- vs. post-residency level. Further study can focus on whether the game appropriately assesses skill acquisition during residency.

show abstract

Returning Service Members to Duty Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Exploring the Use of Dual-Task and Multitask Assessment Methods

Scherer

Weightman²,

Radomski³

et al. 2013

Physical Therapy

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Within the last decade, more than 220,000 service members have sustained traumatic brain injury (TBI) in support of military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mild TBI may result in subtle cognitive and sensorimotor deficits that adversely affect warfighter performance, creating significant challenges for service members, commanders, and clinicians. In recent conflicts, physical therapists and occupational therapists have played an important role in evaluating service member readiness to return to duty (RTD), incorporating research and best practices from the sports concussion literature. Because premorbid (baseline) performance metrics are not typically available for deployed service members as for athletes, clinicians commonly determine duty readiness based upon the absence of postconcussive symptoms and return to "normal" performance on clinical assessments not yet validated in the military population. Although practices described in the sports concussion literature guide "return-to-play" determinations, resolution of symptoms or improvement of isolated impairments may be inadequate to predict readiness in a military operational environment. Existing clinical metrics informing RTD decision making are limited because they fail to emphasize functional, warrior task demands and they lack versatility to assess the effects of comorbid deficits. Recently, a number of complex task-oriented RTD approaches have emerged from Department of Defense laboratory and clinical settings to address this gap. Immersive virtual reality environments, field-based scenario-driven assessment programs, and militarized dual-task and multitask-based approaches have all been proposed for the evaluation of sensorimotor and cognitive function following TBI. There remains a need for clinically feasible assessment methods that can be used to verify functional performance and operational competence in a variety of practice settings. Complex and ecologically valid assessment techniques incorporating dual-task and multitask methods may prove useful in validating return-to-activity requirements in civilian and military populations.

show abstract

Multi-Tasking Assessment for Personnel Selection and Development

Cited by 3 publications

References 30 publications

The Association Between Multitasking and Multi-Patient Care Skills in a Simulated Patient Care Video Game Among Second Year Medical Students Based on Specialty Choice

The Association Between Multitasking and Multi-Patient Care Skills in a Simulated Patient Care Video Game Among Second Year Medical Students Based on Specialty Choice

Development and Performance Assessment of a Digital Serious Game to Assess Multi-Patient Care Skills in a Simulated Pediatric Emergency Department

Returning Service Members to Duty Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Exploring the Use of Dual-Task and Multitask Assessment Methods

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About