What Physicians Need to Know About Health Care Ergonomics: Safe Patient Handling and Beyond

CME/MOC: 3.0
TRACK: OEM Education and Scientific Research

Laura Breeher, MD, MS, MPH, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
Debra Milek, MD, PhD, MPH, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Wilma Traughber, MSN, RN-BC, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
Andrew I. S. Vaughn, MD, MPH, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
Mamie Williams, MPH, MSN, FNP-BC, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN

Musculoskeletal injuries are the leading cause of disability in health care and related fields. While 11 states have established requirements for safe patient handling (SPH) and there have been efforts to create a national requirement for SPH programs, for most health care workers patient handling remains a major hazard. Representatives from major medical centers will share lessons learned from experience with implementing and supporting safe patient handling programs. Data demonstrating the value and efficacy of SPH will be discussed. Innovative ideas for proactively addressing ergonomic challenges posed by other healthcare activities will be highlighted, including tips and tools for increasing comfort and reducing injuries in diverse areas throughout a facility from housekeeping to imaging. The Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) tool will also be introduced which can be used for objective measurement in ergonomic evaluation of a task. During the session, participants will gain practical experience with a hands-on opportunity with ergonomic equipment. This session was organized by the Medical Center Occupational Health Special Interest Section.