Ergonomics Education for Musculoskeletal Pain

Enrolling by invitation at 1 trial location

Overseen By Jennifer Lanz, MSN

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Florida

Disqualifiers: Consent not signed, Filming inappropriate

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 11

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores how surgeons' movements in the operating room might lead to work-related muscle and joint pain. It examines whether poor posture and fatigue contribute to these issues and whether education on better ergonomics can reduce risks. Participants will watch an educational presentation on surgical ergonomics and review data on their movements to identify risky angles and positions. General or acute care surgeons who have performed surgeries in specific operating rooms may be a good fit for this trial. As an unphased trial, it offers surgeons the opportunity to enhance their ergonomic practices and potentially improve their long-term health and efficiency.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that this education intervention is safe for surgeons?

Research has shown that educational programs about ergonomics can reduce muscle and bone problems for those working in operating rooms. For example, one study found that teaching nurses about ergonomics reduced their muscle pain at work.

Another study highlighted that many surgeons experience pain due to poor ergonomics, suggesting that learning better movement and work techniques could be beneficial. These educational programs are easy to manage and primarily involve presentations and discussions, which are safe and straightforward.

The ergonomic measurement system also helps identify risks for muscle and bone problems. It ensures that the work environment suits the individual, reducing muscle fatigue and improving safety. Since this system focuses on assessment and education, it poses no physical risk to participants. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about ergonomics education for musculoskeletal pain because it takes a proactive and personalized approach to tackling the root causes of discomfort among surgeons. Unlike typical ergonomic interventions, which often rely on generic guidelines and equipment adjustments, this method uses real-time data collected during actual surgeries to highlight risky movements specific to each individual. By combining a tailored educational presentation with a visual analysis of a surgeon's own movements, it aims to raise awareness and empower surgeons to make informed adjustments to their posture and techniques, potentially reducing long-term pain and improving surgical performance.

What evidence suggests that this education intervention is effective for reducing musculoskeletal pain?

Studies have shown that teaching healthcare workers about ergonomics can significantly reduce their work-related muscle and joint pain. For instance, when nurses in operating rooms received ergonomics training, they reported less pain and fewer injuries. In this trial, participants will receive an educational presentation on surgical ergonomics and review data from the ergonomic measurement system. Research has also shown that workshops on surgical ergonomics help reduce muscle fatigue and lower the risk of injury. Tools like RULA (Rapid Upper Limb Assessment) identify movements that might cause pain over time. Overall, these educational and assessment methods effectively reduce discomfort and prevent long-term muscle and joint problems. ^{1 2 6 7 8}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Philip Efron, MD

Principal Investigator

University of Florida

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for surgeons experiencing work-related musculoskeletal pain or disorders. It aims to understand how their actions and positions in the operating room contribute to these issues.

Inclusion Criteria

I had surgery in the emergency surgery room by an acute care surgeon.

Exclusion Criteria

Any operative case in which the surgical attending or resident has not signed informed consent to record this individual during the case

My surgery is not suitable for video recording as per my surgeon's assessment.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Pre-Intervention Assessment

Participants perform their normal operative work for 5 cases while being filmed to collect baseline ergonomic risk data

5 surgical cases

5 visits (in-person)

Education Intervention

Participants view an educational presentation on surgical ergonomics and review data from ergonomic measurements

1 session

1 visit (in-person)

Post-Intervention Assessment

Participants perform 5 additional surgical cases to identify changes in ergonomic risk

5 surgical cases

5 visits (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in ergonomic risk and musculoskeletal health over time

1 year

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Education presentation of surgical ergonomics
• Summary of Ergonomic Measurement System

Trial Overview The study measures surgeon's movements and postures using an ergonomic measurement system, then provides education on surgical ergonomics to see if it reduces ergonomic risk factors.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Acute Care Surgery Attending and Resident Surgeons Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

Participants will be asked to perform their normal operative work for 5 cases while being filmed. Data will be collected using the SoterTask™ software which calculates momentary data on risk and an aggregate risk level. Two standard ergonomic risk assessments: Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) or the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) are also calculated. Both assessments are current best practice standard for determining the level of ergonomic risk. The RULA and REBA data calculated by SoterTask will be compared to scores assessed by the research team from the same video recordings of the work tasks. Following the fifth operative case, participants will view an educational presentation of surgical ergonomics and review the data summarized from the ergonomic measurement system with video of their movement with a visual guideline highlighting high-risk angles and movements including legs, arms, neck and back.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Florida

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,428

Recruited

987,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

In a study analyzing 6,029 patient claims after orthopedic surgery in Sweden, 55% were identified as adverse events, with hospital-acquired infections and sepsis being the most common, accounting for 22% of these events.

Spinal surgeries, particularly decompression of the spinal cord and nerve roots, had the highest rate of adverse events, with 21.4% of affected patients experiencing serious disability or death, highlighting the significant risks associated with these procedures.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

What can we learn from patient claims? - A retrospective analysis of incidence and patterns of adverse events after orthopaedic procedures in Sweden. Ohrn, A., Elfström, J., Tropp, H., et al.[2021]

Ergonomics plays a crucial role in improving surgical practices by optimizing the workplace, equipment, and procedures, which can lead to safer and more efficient surgeries.

The review highlights that understanding ergonomic principles can help address the complexities of modern surgical procedures, ultimately aiming to reduce healthcare costs and enhance surgeon performance.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The application of ergonomics in the work environment of general surgeons. Berguer, R.[2019]

A survey of 42 surgical residents revealed that 91% experienced musculoskeletal (MSK) symptoms related to their training, highlighting a significant issue in surgical ergonomics education.

After attending two lectures on surgical ergonomics, all 17 residents who completed the follow-up survey reported increased awareness of their habits and a better understanding of injury prevention, suggesting that incorporating such education into residency could help reduce future injuries.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Incorporating Surgical Ergonomics Education into Surgical Residency Curriculum. Jensen, MJ., Liao, J., Van Gorp, B., et al.[2021]

In a 10-week study involving 164 patients undergoing elective orthopedic procedures, independent clinical reviewers identified significantly more adverse events (99) compared to surgeons (14), highlighting a gap in surgeons' reporting practices.

While surgeons effectively captured major adverse events, they missed many minor events that were documented by reviewers, suggesting that using standardized assessment tools like SAVES V2 and OrthoSAVES could enhance overall adverse-event reporting in clinical settings.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Can Surgeons Adequately Capture Adverse Events Using the Spinal Adverse Events Severity System (SAVES) and OrthoSAVES? Chen, BP., Garland, K., Roffey, DM., et al.[2018]

Only 1.5% of surgical training programs in the U.S. offer formal surgical ergonomics education (SEE), while 25.4% provide informal education, highlighting a significant gap in training for preventing work-related musculoskeletal disorders among surgeons.

Despite the low provision of SEE, 100% of trainees found formal ergonomics education valuable, indicating a strong interest and perceived need for structured training to improve surgical practices and reduce injury risks.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Current State of Surgical Ergonomics Education in U.S. Surgical Training: A Survey Study. Epstein, S., Tran, BN., Capone, AC., et al.[2020]

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7578944/

Effect of an Ergonomics Educational Program ... This study aimed to examine the effect of an ergonomics educational program on MSDs among nursing staff working in the operating room.

2. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S001138402500142X

The impact of a surgical ergonomics educational ... The importance of ergonomics is gaining recognition in the surgical community due to increasing data demonstrating pain, injuries, and disabilities caused ...

3. journalofsurgicalresearch.com journalofsurgicalresearch.com/article/S0022-4804(22)00369-9/fulltext

Ergonomics Workshop Improves Musculoskeletal ... Poor operative ergonomics can lead to muscle fatigue and injury. However, formal ergonomics education is uncommon in surgical residencies.

4. mdpi.com mdpi.com/2077-0383/14/9/3034

Efficacy of Ergonomic Interventions on Work-Related ... Our meta-analysis demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in reported musculoskeletal pain related to work among individuals who received ergonomic ...

5. researchgate.net researchgate.net/publication/368245237_Surgical_Ergonomics_and_Preventing_Work-Related_Musculoskeletal_Disorders

Surgical Ergonomics and Preventing Work-Related ... In particular, surgical specialties have been shown to have an increased risk for work-related overuse injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, ...

6. journals.plos.org journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0244868

The risk of ergonomic injury across surgical specialties Our data suggests that pain and disability as a result of poor ergonomics are widespread across surgical specialties and confirms that surgeons ...

7. researchgate.net researchgate.net/publication/322815765_The_Current_State_of_Surgical_Ergonomics_Education_in_US_Surgical_Training_A_Survey_Study

The Current State of Surgical Ergonomics Education in ... Objective: The aim of this study was to characterize the current state of surgical ergonomics education in the United States.

8. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7872272/

The risk of ergonomic injury across surgical specialties - PMC Our data (based on observations in multiple departments) suggests that pain and disability resulting from poor ergonomics are widespread across surgical ...