From Multi-Tasking to Hyper-Tasking: Investigating the Impact of Next Generation 9-1-1

Details

• Personal Author:
  Basemen J ; Beaton R ; Lilly M ; Meischke H ; Painter I
• Description:
  Emergency call centers (ECCs) are implementing "Next Generation 9-1-1" (NG911), which allows citizens to report emergencies using various digital technologies. The impact of NG911 on a highly stressed workforce in a high demand-low control work environment is a concern. Framed by the first NG911 technology being implemented-text-to-911-our study aimed to: understand health and performance risks associated with NG911 implementation; inform wellness approaches for mitigating those risks; and develop tools to forecast impacts on the 911 system whose mission is providing optimal emergency response to the public. Aim 1 was an observational, prospective cohort study using repeated online surveys to capture pre-/post-NG911 implementation stress, job satisfaction, performance, and turnover intention. 275 telecommunicators (TCs) from 29 ECCs completed surveys before, one month, and 6 months post-implementation. We found higher stress levels associated with stress outside of work and mandatory overtime, lower stress levels associated with NG911 training support, and higher TC job satisfaction and positive performance self-assessment associated with training. However, we observed a statistically significant reduction in job satisfaction after text-to-911 implementation, a statistically significant association with intent to leave, and higher job dissatisfaction among TCs who received a text-to-911 call. Compared to voice calls, text-to-911 presents a challenge for patient safety and performance, as it is less information-rich and introduces communication delays. As NG911 is further deployed, it is probable that job satisfaction may decline and turnover may increase; however, training to improve skills and enhance confidence may reduce turnover intention. ECCs primarily offer ongoing trainings that focus on maintaining or improving technical skills, but there is increased interest in wellness and health training. Mindfulness training is hypothesized to increase an individual's ability to regulate their emotional response to stressors. Aim 2 tested the efficacy of a seven-week online mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) specifically tailored to the 9-1-1 workforce. Following development and piloting of the MBI, 323 TCs were recruited and randomly assigned to the MBI or a control group. We observed significant reductions in stress scores in the intervention group compared to controls post- and at three-month follow-up. While there was no pre-/post-change in mindfulness scores between groups we did observe that greater positive change in mindfulness scores among the intervention group was associated with greater reductions in stress at both post-MBI time points. This suggests that greater improvement in mindfulness may be one of the mediating mechanisms by which intervention participants saw reductions in stress symptom scores. How to introduce workplace modifications and improvements-such as changes in overtime or new trainings such as MBIs-may be enhanced by exploring impacts ahead of time. Aim 3 focused on building an agent-based model (ABM) for testing organizational staffing and management strategies that might buffer the impacts of ECC changes on its workforce. The tool was informed by Aims 1 and 2 measures. It will be used to conduct future work to understand the effects of specific new technologies on the workforce, for example workload effects, and to examine the effects of technologies on call processing level job performance. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Cohort Studies Emergencies Emergency Responders Occupational Health Risk Assessment Safety Stress, Psychological Workplace
• Keywords:
  Cohort Studies Communication Workers Emergency Responders Emergency Response Employee Satisfaction Intervention Effectiveness Job Stress Risk Analysis Telephone Operators Work Performance Workplace Studies

  More +
• Series:
  Grant Final Reports
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Final Grant Report
• Place as Subject:
  Illinois ; OSHA Region 10 ; OSHA Region 5 ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  OEP - Office of Extramural Programs
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-47
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20056991
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB2019-101421
• Citation:
  Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, R01-OH-010536, 2019 Mar; :1-47
• Contact Point Address:
  Hendrika Meischke, PhD, MPH, Department of Health Services, School of Public Health, University of Washington, 4333 Brooklyn Avenue NE, Box 359455, 14th Floor, Seattle, WA 98195
• Email:
  hendrika@uw.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2019
• NORA Priority Area:
  Public Safety
• Performing Organization:
  University of Washington, Seattle
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20140901
• Source Full Name:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• End Date:
  20180831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:dc0f6cd81a12a452b44ba5c5481cb29ea96bc25785f66fb51fa182ff65601909d2ecaf5bc2c8f8afe8c32df7be82b2ce8205f4d2195be61d11c5665a738fdb2f
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/218920/cdc_218920_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.47 MB ]