The Hidden Cost of Interruptions in Your Medical Practice (and Your Sanity)

In today's medical environment, you're expected to be superhuman – seeing patients, completing notes, answering messages, staying current on research, all while maintaining perfect composure and compassion. It's an impossible standard, yet you push yourself to meet it every day.

But there's a hidden force working against you: the constant stream of interruptions.

The Interruption Epidemic

As physicians, we face interruptions that didn't exist even a few years ago:

• Epic messages popping up during patient visits
• Staff knocking on doors with non-urgent questions
• Text messages from colleagues
• Email notifications
• Patient portal messages
• Our own internal distractions when we feel bored or fatigued

Each interruption costs more than just the time it takes to address it. Research shows that after an interruption, it takes an average of 23 minutes to fully return to the original task. For physicians seeing patients every 15-20 minutes, this math is devastating.

The Multitasking Myth

Many of us pride ourselves on our ability to multitask. We answer messages while talking to patients. We check our inbox between visits. We leave notes half-finished to attend to something seemingly more urgent.

But here's the truth: Multitasking provides emotional gratification because it moves the pleasure of procrastination inside the period of work.

That hit of dopamine you get from checking your email instead of finishing your note? It's your brain's way of avoiding the slightly more difficult task. But this habit costs you dearly.

A note that would take 2 minutes to complete immediately after seeing a patient might take 15 minutes to finish days later when details are no longer fresh in your mind. Multiply that across all your patients, and you're looking at hours of lost time each week.

Reclaiming Your Focus

You deserve better than a workday dictated by others' urgencies. Here are three powerful strategies to start implementing today:

1. Set Clear, Kind Boundaries

When someone interrupts you with a non-urgent matter, respond with: "I can't answer that right now. I can address it after I finish with my current patient."

For staff who consistently interrupt, schedule specific times when they can bring questions to you: "I'm available for non-urgent questions between 12-12:30 when I've finished morning patients."

2. Recognize Your Internal Distractions

When you feel bored, frustrated, or low-energy, your brain naturally seeks stimulation. Instead of checking social media or email, try:

• Taking three deep breaths
• Doing a quick physical movement (stretching, jumping jacks)
• Drinking water
• A brief, purposeful interaction with a colleague

These quick resets can clear mental fog without derailing your focus.

3. Choose "Uphill" Tasks First

When faced with a choice between completing a challenging task now (finishing a note) or doing something easier (checking email), remind yourself which one will serve you better in the long run.

The immediate discomfort of sticking with a challenging task pays dividends in time saved later.

A Call to Action

You are not lazy, incompetent, or disorganized for struggling with interruptions and distractions. You're a human being working in a system that wasn't designed with human cognition in mind.

But you do have the power to make different choices. To set boundaries. To protect your focus. To reclaim your day, one patient encounter at a time.

Listen to the full episode for more strategies and insights on tackling interruptions and distractions in your medical practice: Episode 175: Tackling Interruptions and Distractions

Ready to transform how you approach your work and reclaim your time and sanity? Schedule a 1:1 coaching discovery call with me: https://calendly.com/healthierforgood/coaching-discovery-call