Work-Related Injury or Work-Related Pain? A Qualitative Investigation of Work-Related Pain and Injury Management Among Rehabilitation Professionals

Details

• Personal Author:
  Evans KW ; Myers D ; Rockefeller K
• Description:
  BACKGROUND: Patient mobility tasks place rehabilitation professionals (Physical and Occupational Therapists) working in hospitals at high risk for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). However, when investigating engagement with a Safe Patient Handling and Mobility program (SPHM), administrative records at a level one trauma hospital showed that rehabilitation professionals reported zero work-related injuries over an eight-year period. OBJECTIVE: As part of a qualitative study conducted to discover their unique work experiences, we explored some of the reasons that rehabilitation professionals might not report work-related injuries to their employers. METHODS: Using a collective case study design, six focus groups were conducted with 25 members of the rehabilitation team within a level-one trauma hospital. Focus groups were recorded; transcripts were analyzed for emergent themes using first and second cycle coding procedures. RESULTS: Participants in this study denied experiencing work-related injuries but frequently described working in pain, often attributed to patient mobility tasks. These experiences were not reported to employers. Self-management of their pain through co-worker treatment, over-the-counter medications, or informal alteration in job tasks were reported as common. CONCLUSION: Administrative injury records may underrepresent injuries among rehabilitation professionals. This may be due to their perception of work-related pain as something different than work-related injuries, or that many of these rehabilitation professionals treat their own work-related pain and symptoms rather than report them. To get a more accurate assessment of injury frequency among rehabilitation professionals, researchers should gather information directly from the participants, and should inquire about work-related pain in addition to injury. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Eye Lighting Mining Occupational Health Safety Sense Organs
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Injuries Health Care Personnel Hospitals Injuries MSD Musculoskeletal Disorders Occupational Groups Occupational Therapists Pain Patient Handling Physical Therapists Physical Therapy Qualitative Analysis Rehabilitation

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• ISSN:
  1051-9815
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Florida ; Idaho ; Maryland ; OSHA Region 10 ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 4 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  99-109
• Volume:
  78
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20070322
• Citation:
  Work 2024 Jan; 78(1):99-109
• Contact Point Address:
  Kimeran W. Evans PT, DPT, PhD, Associate Professor, Division of Physical Therapy, West Virginia University, PO Box 9226, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
• Email:
  kwevans@hsc.wvu.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2024
• Performing Organization:
  Johns Hopkins University
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Work
• End Date:
  20280630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:635d67aa05fa64457ddaeed08712d2231bf8f27a6facd8a02f2cb0859de8c0d35133023b2045a4fceb8f56d2a75d9e381833c09f7fcad3984a0c85b301497d43
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/208556/cdc_208556_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 217.22 KB ]