Physical Task Demands of Caregivers Working in a Long-Term Care Facility
NCT Number: NCT06534203
Status: RECRUITING
Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
Conditions: Work Related Musculoskeletal Injuries (WRMSIs)
Interventions: OTHER: Investigation - Observational Study
Sponsor: Universite de Moncton
Collaborators: University of New Brunswick
Sex: ALL
Age: ADULT, OLDER_ADULT
Enrollment: 30
Study Design: Observational Model: |Time Perspective: p
Start Date: 2024-07-25
Completion Date: 2024-12-30
Locations: Université de Moncton, Moncton, New Brunswick, E1A 3E9, Canada

Summary:
Providing care to residents and patients significantly contributes to work-related injuries among healthcare personnel, particularly those responsible for transferring and handling residents, who face a higher risk of injury due to the physical demands of their work and other environmental factors.

The purpose of this project is to better understand the daily work requirements, identify their physical demands, and assess injury risk of caregivers. Data will be collected using a new pen-and-paper-based ergonomic surveying tool, a series of questionnaires, and measurements of physiological demands such as heart rate and galvanic skin response.

Collecting this data will enable the investigators and others to create new interventions better tailored to this working population, with a focus on injury prevention. These interventions may include warm-up routines, stretching exercises, training programs, and/or technological advancements.

Primary Outcome Measures: Pen and Paper Ergonomic Tool - Part 1A : "The caregiver did NOT use any tools or aids while performing the following transfer tasks", Each participant will be observed throughout an entire workday using a new pen-and-paper-based ergonomic tool developed in the lab. This assessment tool (see Appendix A) is a comprehensive document designed to record the various physical tasks and demands encountered during a typical workday for caregivers in long-term care facilities. The tool was developed based on standardized task analysis tools widely used in ergonomic practices (OHCOW, 2023).

Part 1A of this tool will identify the number of transfers performed by caregivers during a workday, specifying the frequency (number of times this task was performed) and time (seconds) of each type of transfer WITHOUT the use of tools or aids., One experimental session (8 to 12 hours)|Pen and Paper Ergonomic Tool - Part 1B : "The caregiver used tools and/or aids while performing the following transfer tasks", Part 1B of this tool will identify the number of transfers performed by caregivers during a workday, specifying the frequency (number of times this task was performed) and time (seconds) for each type of transfer WITH the use of tools or aids., One experimental session (8 to 12 hours)|Pen and Paper Ergonomic Tool - Part 1C: "Tools used for resident transfers", The purpose of Part 1C is to determine how many transfers each type of equipment was used for by caregivers on a workday. It identifies the frequency of use for both mechanical and non-mechanical tools., One experimental session (8 to 12 hours)|Pen and Paper Ergonomic Tool - Part 2A: "Number of resident handling in Bed", Part 2A of this tool will identify the number of resident handling tasks performed by caregivers in bed during a workday, specifying the frequency (i.e., the number of times this task was performed). This section is also subdivided to identify not only the number of manipulations but also the types of manipulations performed., One experimental session (8 to 12 hours)|Pen and Paper Ergonomic Tool - Part 2B: "Number of resident handling in Wheelchair - Sitting", Part 2B of this tool will identify the number of resident handling tasks performed by caregivers in a wheelchair or sitting position during a workday, specifying the frequency (i.e., the number of times this task was performed). This section is also subdivided to identify not only the number of manipulations but also the types of manipulations performed., One experimental session (8 to 12 hours)|Pen and Paper Ergonomic Tool - Part 3: "Motor tasks - Housework - Sanitary", Sanitary services and needs, such as bending down to clean or pick up objects, can expose caregivers to risks of WRMSIs, especially if they are in a vulnerable position while performing motor tasks. Assisting residents with hygiene care and clothing changes can also vary in terms of time and complexity, which can present challenges for caregivers and increase their risk of injury. This section of the tool will provide an overview of the frequency with which these types of motor tasks are performed during a workday., One experimental session (8 to 12 hours)|Pen and Paper Ergonomic Tool - Part 4: "Time spent under different type of behavior", Extended periods of standing and walking can have significant long-term effects on health. Therefore, this section is crucial as it allows for the recording of the approximate time (in minutes) spent on various activities, such as standing, sitting, and walking, throughout a workday., One experimental session (8 to 12 hours)|Pen and Paper Ergonomic Tool - Part 5: "Additional information", This section of the tool will identify several important factors that can influence the risk of injury to caregivers, including the total time worked during the shift, rest periods, and the longest continuous period worked without rest (in minutes)., One experimental session (8 to 12 hours)|Pen and Paper Ergonomic Tool - Part 6: "Field observations", This section of the tool will be used to record any additional behaviors, factors, or obstacles that may increase the risk of injury to caregivers and that have not been covered elsewhere in the tool. It will serve as a journal for the investigators to track valuable information during data collection., One experimental session (8 to 12 hours)
Secondary Outcome Measures: Rate of Perceived Discomfort Questionnaire (RPD-Q), The RPD-Q will be administered to provide an overview of the progression of caregivers' discomfort during their workday. This questionnaire will quantify the discomfort felt by the participants at the beginning, during, and after their workday during data collection. This self-administered questionnaire is based on a visual analogue scale of 0 to 100 points. Zero points represent no discomfort at all, while 100 points represent the maximal level of discomfort. Additionally, the RPD-Q will make it possible to identify whether the level of discomfort increases as the workday progresses, as well as the areas of the body most affected by such changes., One experimental session (8 to 12 hours)
Other Outcome Measures: Health and Lifestyle Questionnaire - Part 1A : "Lifestyle Habits", To gain an overview of work-related injuries in a care setting, investigators will gather information to identify risk factors and determine whether certain habits might contribute to injury development within this population. The H\&L-Q is divided into three parts, with the first focusing on lifestyle habits, such as average alcohol consumption (in ounces) during a typical week., One experimental session (8 to 12 hours)|Health and Lifestyle Questionnaire - Part 1B : "Lifestyle Habits", This section of the questionnaire provides relevant information regarding lifestyle habits, such as average tobacco use during a typical week. The outcome measurement will be based on the frequency of use throughout the week., One experimental session (8 to 12 hours)|Health and Lifestyle Questionnaire - Part 1C : "Lifestyle Habits", This section of the questionnaire provides relevant information regarding lifestyle habits, including the estimated amount of time engaging in physical activities (in minutes) and time spent in sedentary behavior (in hours) during a week., One experimental session (8 to 12 hours)|Health and Lifestyle Questionnaire - Part 2 : "Work related MSIs History", This section captures the history of WRMSIs experienced by participants throughout their careers. It aims to assess the impact of these injuries on their work capacity and overall well-being. By analyzing this data, investigators will be able to determine the prevalence of WRMSIs (%) within the study population., One experimental session (8 to 12 hours)|Health and Lifestyle Questionnaire - Part 3 : "Subjective Information", This section includes subjective data from participants to aid in interpreting results obtained from other tools. It also features open-ended questions designed to gather insights on interventions and strategies that could help reduce the occurrence of WRMSIs among caregivers., One experimental session (8 to 12 hours)|Physiological Measures - Galvanic Skin Response Levels, The use of an Empatica (Embrace Plus) watch will allow investigators to assess the physiological demands placed on caregivers throughout their workday. By monitoring fluctuations in galvanic skin response levels, researchers can quantify physiological responses and identify the most stressful periods of a shift by analyzing electrical conductance in microsiemens (µS)., One experimental session (8 to 12 hours)|Physiological Measures - Heart Rate, The use of the heart rate monitor (Polar H10) will enable investigators to assess the physiological demands on caregivers throughout their workday. By analyzing fluctuations in heart rate (beats per minute, bpm), it will be possible to identify the more physically demanding periods of a caregiver's shift. Additionally, the average heart rate throughout the workday can be calculated to quantify the overall physical demands imposed on caregivers., One experimental session (8 to 12 hours)