Potentiale for forebyggelse af forflytningsulykker og rygsmerter ved brug af tekniske hjælpemidler under patientforflytninger på danske hospitaler, 2017-2022
Creators: Det Nationale Forskningscenter for Arbejdsmiljø
Lars Andersen
Publisher: name: Rigsarkivet
Year: 2024

description: Recent data from the Global Burden of Disease Study shows that low-back pain continues to be a leading cause of years lived with disability. While low-back pain is multifactorial in origin, several work-related factors can contribute to it. Heavy lifting, frequent turns, twisting and bending of the back, are among the commonly reported work-related risk factors for low-back pain. These are also associated with increased risk for long-term sickness absence and early involuntary retirement from the labor market. Such physical exposures are common among workers with manual material handling as well as among healthcare workers. Healthcare workers transferring patients, e.g., nurses and nurses’ aides, are frequently experiencing back-related problems often due to injuries occurring suddenly and unexpectedly during patient transfers. Several studies show an association between patient transfer and risk of back injury, and biomechanical studies confirm the high physical loading of the back during such work. Across the European Union, healthcare workers rate their own health and safety as poorer than the rest of the working population, and qualitative interviews indicate that this negatively impacts quality of life and overall satisfaction with the job. Altogether, back injuries can lead to long-term negative physical and psychological consequences. Thus, several important reasons for preventing back injuries among healthcare workers exist. 
One important initiative to prevent back injuries is ensuring the consistent use of assistive devices during patient transfer. Thus, among healthcare workers in eldercare, consistent use of assistive devices is associated with a markedly decreased risk of future back injury. Likewise, involving healthcare workers and their leaders in participatory approach for improved use of assistive devices has shown to reduce the incidence of injuries to about half. However, to be successful in this endeavor, a good collaboration between colleagues as well as with the leaders is probably important. An Australian study further reported hat a “no lifting policy”—i.e., making it obligatory to use assistive devices during patient transfer—led to fewer back injury compensation claims. However, healthcare workers often face situations where the necessary assistive devices are not readily available. Knowledge about which assistive devices are commonly missing when back injuries occur may help hospitals to better plan preventive strategies. 
While the majority of preventive strategies at hospitals focus on ergonomic factors, improving psychosocial factors may also be important. Thus, a recent systematic review suggests that psychosocial factors such as high demands and low job control, e ort–reward imbalance, and low social support may be important risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders among healthcare workers. Several studies have also highlighted the role of good leadership as important for the health status of this population. 
The aim of this study was therefore to investigate physical and psychosocial work environmental risk factors for back injury during patient transfer among healthcare workers in hospitals. To encounter some of the methodological shortcomings of previous studies, e.g., recall bias and a long time between exposure and outcome, we used a repeated-measures design with questionnaires every 14 days during a year.