Nurses are constantly interrupted by other healthcare professionals asking questions they could answer themselves by observing the patient or reading the chart.

Workarounds Described

• nurses stop medication rounds to answer questions about patient mobility or continence
• nurses personally find patient care aids when asked by therapists
• nurses answer whether a patient takes sugar in their drink instead of the patient being asked directly

Implied Software Gaps

• A mobile-accessible patient status board that shows real-time mobility, continence, and preferences
• A role-based messaging system that routes non-urgent queries to the appropriate person or data source
• An interrupt classification system that prioritizes urgent clinical needs over informational requests

InterruptShield

InterruptShield is a communication triage platform that routes non-urgent questions to the right information source (patient chart, vitals board, handover notes) before bothering the nurse. It reduces interruptions during critical tasks like medication rounds by encouraging self-service via a mobile app or voice assistant.