Table 5

Pearson correlation between distractions and clinical content score

Distractions/extra tasks involvedCorrelation between clinical score of patient handover and presence of individual distractions
Background conversation between people who are involved in the handover0.02
Background conversation between people who are not involved in the handover−0.09†
Doors opening0.08
Staff from outside the handover talking to those who are−0.02
People walking through the handover0.02
Phone ringing near the handover0.004
Phone conversation occurring near the handover0.03
Mobile phone call involving someone who was involved in the handover0.06
Bleep going off during the handover0.02
Other alarm−0.06
TV noise−0.04
Current patient interrupting−0.13*
Other patient interrupting−0.05
A patient's family member interrupting−0.13*
People making coffee near the handover0.05
People washing up near the handover−0.01
Computer noises near the handover0.02
Clinical-related noises (suction noises)−0.05
Non-clinical-related noise (ice-making machine)0.04
Patient examination0.04
Patient communication0.12*
x Ray viewing−0.02
Total distractions0.02

  • ↵* Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (two-tailed).

  • ↵† Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (two-tailed).