The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot contains the following verse:
Time for you and time for me,
And time yet for a hundred indecisions,
And for a hundred visions and revisions,
Before the taking of a toast and tea.
The memory of the TRENDS newsletter’s editor of this portion of the poem was triggered while perusing an article on the topic of decision fatigue that appeared in the January 2020 issue of the Journal of Health Psychology, in which it is estimated that an American adult makes 35,000 decisions each day. While some of them seemingly are benign, an emerging body of science indicates that making decisions may possess negative ramifications for controlling one’s behavior and the quality of subsequent decisions. The phenomenon is known as “decision fatigue,” an impaired ability to make decisions and control behavior as a consequence of repeated acts of decision-making that often lead to choices that seem impulsive or irrational. Decision-making is a central component of modern health care, with each decision possessing some level of influence on patient outcomes. With a substantial proportion of all adults possessing at least one chronic condition, decision-making may be considered a central facet of day-to-day chronic disease self-management.
Decision fatigue as a concept has been applied scantily to health care disciplines, despite its potential relevance to inform the decision-making behaviors of patients and clinicians. If health professionals are working to the point where they are in severe states of ego depletion (manifesting as decision fatigue) and are not in an ideal cognitive state to make logical and safe decisions for patients, an exploration of decision fatigue may serve as a highly relevant and necessary endeavor. Hence, decision fatigue analysis may possess significance to inform regulatory policies related to health care employee workload.
More Articles from Dec 2019 - Jan 2020 TRENDS
RESOLVING NETTLESOME HEALTH POLICY DISPUTES
Indicates the importance of deciding which groups should be involved in making decisions about controversial initiatives, such as gene editing. Read more
PRESIDENT’S CORNER
ASAHP President Phyllis King discusses Read more
LABOR-HHS FUNDS ALLOCATED FOR FY 2020
Lists funding for certain activities for the Departments of Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies. Read more
HEALTH REFORM DEVELOPMENTS
Discusses court rulings involving the individual mandate and also repeal of some taxes that help to finance provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Read more
DEVELOPMENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION
Describes undergraduate pricing at higher education institutions and Department of Education policy regarding cancellation of debt of federal student loan borrowers based on a college's misconduct. Read more
QUICK STAT (SHORT, TIMELY, AND TOPICAL)
Adult Physical Inactivity Prevalence Maps By Race/Ethnicity
Driving Under The Influence Of Marijuana And Illicit Drugs Among Persons Aged ≥16 Years—U.S.
Benefit To Patients Using Wearable Devices Such As Fitbit Or Health Apps On Mobiles
Light-Degradable Hydrogels As Dynamic Triggers For Gastrointestinal Applications Read more
AVAILABLE RESOURCES ACCESSIBLE ELECTRONICALLY
U.S. Investments In Medical And Health Research And Development 2013 – 2018
More Americans Delaying Medical Treatment Due To Cost
Do Advanced Driver Assistance And Semi-Automated Vehicle Systems Lead To Improper Driving Behavior? Read more
A CONCEPTUAL ANALYSIS OF DECISION FATIGUE
Mentions an impaired ability to make decisions and control behavior as a consequence of repeated acts of decision-making that often lead to choices that seem impulsive or irrational. Read more
GEOGRAPHY DETERMINES WHEN A DEATH CAN BE DECLARED
Refers to how incomplete adoption of the Uniform Determination of Death Act (UDDA) into definitions of death in states around the nation can result in an individual being pronounced dead in one state, but not dead in a neighboring state. Read more