Doctors Experiences of Interruptions in the Digital Age and the Impact on Clinical Care in England

Mandated digital infrastructures in English outpatient care normalize constant availability, turning interruptions into persistent, cognitively disruptive demands that doctors manage amid safety risks.

• Why it matters: Prior interruption research is limited by paper-based workflows and personal-device “digital distraction,” leaving unclear how EHRs and clinical messaging platforms shape interruptions and clinical care.
• What they did: Qualitative Reflexive Thematic Analysis used focus group and interview data from 42 UK outpatient care doctors, interpreted via Cognitive Load Theory and Social Identity theory.
• The result: Four themes showed digital tools as cognitive amplifiers, coordination without social cues, and doctors using channel-limiting and selective prompt strategies, implying mitigation needs system and organizational changes.