Learning Curve Analysis of a Patient Lift-Assist Device

Details

• Personal Author:
  Mirka GA ; Reid SA
• Description:
  One of the challenges facing ergonomists in the implementation of an ergonomic solution is addressing the concerns related to their impact on productivity. The focus of the current study was to (1) apply standard learning curve analysis to the learning that takes place as an individual works with a patient handling device and (2) compare the effects of two different training protocols on measures of learning. Eighteen subjects completed 11 replications of a patient transfer task after participating in either an "interactive" training protocol or "see-one-do-one" training protocol. The results show that the learning rate for this task was 83% with no difference as a function of training protocol. The results do indicate that the effect of Training Method was significant (p<0.05) for time to complete the first patient lift task (370 s for the interactive training vs. 475 s for see-one-do-one training). The results of the analysis of the survey data supported the objective results in that the only measure that was responsive to training type (p<0.05) was related to comfort level in performing the patient lift task for the first time. The results emphasize the importance in considering learning when introducing an intervention in the workplace, and showed that in this instance, training type had an immediate impact on productivity, but that this effect diminished over time. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Ergonomics Occupational Health Safety Staff Development
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Intervention Equipment Design Equipment Testing Intervention Effectiveness Learning Musculoskeletal Patient Handling Task Performance Training Effectiveness
• ISSN:
  0003-6870
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  North Carolina ; OSHA Region 4
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  38
• Issue:
  6
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20054142
• Citation:
  Appl Ergon 2007 Nov; 38(6):765-771
• Contact Point Address:
  Gary A. Mirka, Department of Industrial Engineering, The Ergonomics Laboratory, Box 7906, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7906, USA
• Email:
  mirka@ncsu.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2008
• Performing Organization:
  University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Applied Ergonomics
• End Date:
  20270630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:cfa4014cb2bed119f986d7205357474a7d63e927d74b59d4ff2fceadd8a6bf68196928eb54dbea8d1a8617e5f6273b228aa23e5506fd7e5948e132afa49f7d19
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/216771/cdc_216771_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 622.62 KB ]