Designing musculoskeletal disorder interventions for imaging technologists

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The long term goal of this application is to reduce the high incidence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and physical discomfort experienced by imaging technologists (I-Techs). Prior research has shown MSDs to be a significant problem for this occupational group which receives significant exposure to occupational risk factors often associated with development of MSDs. The goal of this application is to develop useable interventions, through a participatory design process, that reduce physical risk factor exposures and are acceptable to the workers who provide imaging services in hospital and clinical settings. The specific aims of this project are: (1) In conjunction with imaging technologists, develop design concepts aimed at equipment and work method interventions that address biomechanical and physiologic concerns associated with performing imaging and imaging-related tasks; (2) Fabricate prototype equipment and/or work method training materials based on the design concepts; (3) Validate, through controlled experimental studies, that the intervention concepts developed in earlier phases of this project reduce the demands placed on the musculoskeletal system; interventions will be refined and re-tested as necessary based on participant feedback on usability and usefulness, and experimental results; (4) Implement and evaluate prototype interventions in the field to assess usability and obtain acceptability (usability) feedback from I-Techs performing their normal jobs duties. The participatory design process will recruit groups of I-Techs from five subspecialties: vascular sonographers, cardiac sonographers, diagnostic sonographers, diagnostic radiology, and mammography. They will participate in initial design focus groups, review of fabricated interventions, controlled studies designed to biomechanically evaluate the newly developed interventions, and in 6-week field trials. Prior work by one of the P.I.}s using a similar intervention process with paramedics suggests that at the completion of this process we will have, for each subspecialty, multiple interventions that are biomechanically validated and likely to be adopted by the targeted work groups based on usability assessments conducted throughout the study. Relevance of this research to public health: This project addresses the significant occupational exposure of imaging technologists to risk factors associated with the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. The problem is of even greater significance to public health given a shortage of imaging technologists and an increasing demand for scans, thus making the health status of the imaging technologists a critical factor in the availability of health care services.