John Halamka is the CIO at Beth Israel Deconess Medical Center and the author of the popular “Life as a Healthcare CIO” blog, where he writes about technology, the business of healthcare and the issues he faces as the leader of the IT department of a major hospital system. He is a frequent contributor to THCB.
I recently wrote a Computerworld Column about Email Overload.
I’m a data oriented guy and was curious to learn detailed statistics about my own Blackberry use. I found a great Blackberry application called “I Love Blackberry” from EarlySail.
Here’s my Blackberry statistics:
Average Daily – 111 Times for 2 hours 24 minutes divided as 86 times for 1 hour 34 minutes during work hours and 25 times for 50 minutes outside of work hours.
Average Weekly – 482 Times for 9 hours 31 minutes divided as 431 times for 7 hours 50 minutes during work hours and 51 times for 1 hour 40 minutes outside of work hours.
This means that I spend approximately 20% of my work time doing Blackberry communications. A startling statistic.
Between work time, home time and driving time email has added 20-25% more work to my week. I am more productive, and resolve issues sooner, and I can run organizations remotely. The EarlySail applications provides great insight into the time and effort cost of maintaining this level of connectedness.
That’s cool!
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I am also a little surprised at the bitterness and self righteousness in this thread.
Who the heck should tell anyone else how hard to work or what “getting a life” is?
Frankly, I like better the person who spends the start and end of their day continuing to work if ultimately it lets them leave the office sooner, than the fellow who invests their “free” time trying to insult someone else because they enjoy their work. There have always been hard workers, even before this connected world.
The bitter should get a life, by finding better things to do with their time.
As a fairly serious blackberry user, I find the backlash in this thread extremely interesting. I look at my blackberry as a tool to save myself time and improve productivity, but I get that there are people who see my gadget in a different light. John Halamka is – by his own admission – a heavy user. I’m wondering how his usage rates compare with those of other users. I’m sure there’s data, but I haven’t seen it.
Yes, yes we all know the great advancements of technology and I agree that a Blackberry is beneficial to all business people, Health IT professionals, healthcare professional, and practically everyone who relies on technology to get things done. However, John – there is such thing as “taking a break”. So, please invest more in having your down time then trying to “productively” accomplish work or you will end up overworking and killing yourself.
Thanks John for sharing the application, it really emphasizes how interconnected and interdependent we are in the healthcare area.
I’m just wondering what is your average daily email volume in and out during the work week?
What a busy man you are. And yes in terms of resolving issues earlier while at your blackberry it could ease up any work related burden that you have. Also would you like to try Two Way Radio Rentals.
Ah, Total Work! Yes, that’s what life is for, being ever more “productive” and “efficient”. The devil take culture. And blogging.
Where is Aristotle when we need him? Turn off the Blackberry, unplug, and let someone else “be productive” for awhile. Build a humane organization, and for Pete’s sake, Get a Life!
What does this have to do with health care other than the increased trauma admissions due to “crackberrying” when one should be paying attention?
Really!! Do you text while you drive, as well? When do you give your brain a chance to recover from all the other stuff you do?
Do you have a life?? It is amazing how we can fool ourselves into thinking we are doing something worthwhile and important.