Peer Reviewed Journal

Experienced cognitive load in the emergency department. A prospective study

Yael Appelboom, Yvonne Groenen, Dirk Notten, Anique B. H. de Bruin, Jacqueline Buijs, Harm R. Haak, Hella F. Broggreve, Lars Lambriks, Patricia M. Stassen

Yael Appelboom, Y. (2025). Experienced cognitive load in the emergency department. A prospective study. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0314052

From 17h onwards, residents working in the ED experienced rather high mental effort and reported feeling not optimally comfortable when making decisions. The mental effort was highest between 21-23h. This was found when cognitive load was measured per 2-hour interval and per shift, but not per decision. This study may provide an insights to optimise cognitive load by reorganisation of the ED.