The of medical care you receive from doctors could depend on the of the day you visit a hospital or clinic. A study from the University of Pennsylvania in the USA discovered a difference in the decision-making of at different times of the . The study concluded that a patient's chances of getting screened for cancer were a lot in the morning than they were in the afternoon. Researchers investigated the numbers of women assigned to breast screening throughout the day. They found that in the hour following 8am, doctors ordered screenings for 64 per cent of women who were for tests. This dropped to 48 per cent at 5pm.
The researchers said the reduction in assigned screenings as the day progressed could be due to "decision fatigue". This is a of mental burn-out that interrupts a person's to effectively make decisions the longer they work. Dr. Mitesh Patel said: "Our new adds to the growing that the time of the day and decision fatigue impacts patient ." Researcher Esther Hsiang agreed, saying: "We believe that the downward of ordering screenings may be the result of decision fatigue, where people may be inclined to consider a new decision after they've been making them day. It may also stem from clinicians getting behind as the day progresses."
