Assessing Situation-Level Sonographer Workload

Objective: Ideally, schedules should provide sufficient time for quality patient examinations, sufficient time for other examination-related activities, and recovery time for sonographers. One difficulty with examination times and scheduling is the variability among examinations due to a myriad of factors. The objective of this work was an improved understanding of these factors and their relation to sonographer workload, potentially leading to better-informed scheduling in the future. Materials and Methods: A collaborative approach was used to (1) develop a list of potential workload-contributing factors, (2) document factor occurrence during examinations, and (3) explore associations between workload factors and perceived workload. Results: Notable differences were seen in workload between examinations. The association between total number of workload factors and perceived workload was stronger than between workload variables and examination duration. Conclusion: This supports the concept that more dynamic, flexible scheduling that accounts for situation-level workload experiences may aid in providing more appropriate and sustainable workloads for sonographers.