Look Up From Your Screen

One of the best things about being in the emergency services is the freedom we enjoy from a traditional office setting. Increasingly, though, our mobile devices are infiltrating our space and chewing up our time and attention. We can be sitting in the cab of an emergency vehicle anywhere, but still be tethered by our phone and tablets, unless we make a conscious choice not to be ruled by techno-diversions. As a member of the healthcare world, why not set an example to others and choose to heed the advice of experts to look up from the screens to which we all seem addicted? Here are three good reasons: 1. Digital Eye Strain Have you ever noticed scratchy-dry, tired or runny eyes? You’re not alone. Some 50–90% of people who spend a lot of time watching electronic screens feel these things. When it happens, think back over your day (or night) and review how much time was spent staring at the screen of an electronic device (e.g., computer, tablet, smartphone). It’s called “digital eye strain” and, no surprise, eye doctors are worried about the increasing incidence of it. It happens largely because blink rate drops significantly when a person stares too long at a screen. A nuisance at the outset, it can become a chronic problem. The good news: it’s preventable. Here are a couple of things to try—in addition to having appropriate lighting and doing what it takes to reduce glare. Blink mindfully every so often, say, three times an hour by closing the ...
Source: JEMS Operations - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: Exclusive Articles Columns Operations Source Type: news