Paging Frequency for Internal Medicine Residents in a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Prospective Observational Mixed Methods Study

Background Paging is a common form of communication in hospitals, but frequent interruptions from pages can negatively impact patient care and physician well-being. This study aimed to understand the volume and urgency of hospital pages on internal medicine residents during call shifts. Methods Internal medicine residents at a tertiary care center in Edmonton, Canada documented pages received during evening and overnight call shifts. Data on timing, content, urgency, and importance of pages were collected. Quantitative data were obtained from centralized paging records for internal medicine subspecialties from February 2021 to February 2023. Results Residents received an average of 13.8 pages per shift, with 58.1% being urgent and 38.2% non-urgent. Pages from nurses comprised 75.5% of total pages. Pages interrupted patient care 52.6% of the time. Interpretation On-call internal medicine residents receive a high volume of pages, predominantly from nurses, with a considerable proportion being non-urgent and did not lead to a change in patient care. Pages frequently interrupt patient care, highlighting potential areas for improvement in communication practices. Conclusion Hospital pages significantly interrupt on-call residents’ duties, with a notable proportion being non-urgent. Alternative communication methods should be explored to improve patient care and physician well-being during on-call shifts.