ABSTRACT
The similarities in the workload profile of the anaesthetist and civil airline pilot provided a basic rationale for investigating the anaesthetist’s workload using a subjective technique developed traditionally for the piloted environment. However, the aviation-anaesthesiology analogy cannot be used to assume similarities in the types of workload experienced by the two professional groups (e.g. mental, physical, temporal workload). An investigation of the applicability of a subjective measure of pilot workload (i.e. the NASA bi-polar scale) was therefore conducted. The technique was completed by 17 anaesthetists from three surgical specialities (general, neurosurgery and cardiothoracic surgery) at three prescribed intervals during an operation (induction, pre-maintenance and pre-recovery). Technique applicability was assessed using a debriefing questionnaire. Results indicated that the dimensions of the NASA bi-polar technique are generally relevant to the work of the anaesthetist but modifications to the titles of three dimensions are recommended to better describe the work of the anaesthetist.
