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Author: Mark Kozlowski M.D. Educational Pearls: Humans cannot "multitask" effectively - a more accurate term is "task interruption." When doing more than one task at once, we are more likely to forget key details and perform both tasks more slowly overall. Do not interrupt people who are focusing on critical tasks - programming a pump or drawing up doses. Think about ways to reduce task interruption in your hospital for a better clinical practice. References: Westbrook JI, Woods A, Rob MI, Dunsmuir WTM, Day RO. Association of Interruptions With an Increased Risk and Severity of Medication Administration Errors. Arch Intern Med. 2010;170(8):683-690. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2010.65