JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

There are numerous mobile applications for tracking workhours, but only a few of them record workhours automatically instead of relying on manual logging. None have been customized for medical staff, whose work schedules are highly complicated because they have both regular hours and on-call duties.

Objective:

The specific aims were (1) to identify the app users’ GPS-defined workhours, (2) to examine the overtime workhours from GPS-defined workhours and their self-reported scheduled workhours, and (3) to compare these GPS-defined workhours among different occupations.

Methods:

We developed an app, “Staff Hours,” to automatically calculate a user’s workhours via GPS background data. Users can fulfill their scheduled hours, including regular hours and on-call duties. The app automatically generates overtime reports by comparing GPS-defined workhours to user-defined scheduled hours. A total of 216 volunteers (64 females, 152 males; age 32.9 ± 6.48) were included in this study. Most of the participants (85.2%) were medical staff, and their positions were resident physicians (N = 93), visiting staff (N = 49), medical students (N = 23), registered nurses (N = 19), and non-health care professionals (N = 23).

Results:

Among all 216 participants, their total workhours (60.21 ± 39.15) were significantly higher than scheduled workhours (47.46 ± 12.32; P < .001). All medical staff had significantly longer total workhours (resident physicians: 69.40 ± 38.03, P < .001; medical students: 62.50 ± 44.18, P = .020; registered nurses: 60.83 ± 40.62, P = .040; visiting staff: 55.89 ± 37.25, P = .041) than non-health care professionals (38.12 ± 32.51). Residents had significantly longer workhours than visiting staff.

Conclusions:

Staff Hours is the first automatic GPS location-based app designated for medical staff to track workhours and calculate overtime. For medical staff, this app could keep complete and accurate workhours records in real-time, reduce bias and allow for better complying with labor regulations.