Identification of Factors Affecting EMS Workers Adoption of MSD Interventions

Details

• Personal Author:
  Conrad KM ; Crawford JM ; Lavender SA ; Reichelt P ; Weiler M
• Description:
  The long-term goal of this project is to prevent musculoskeletal injuries in Emergency Medical Service (EMS} workers. Prior work by our group and others had shown that EMS tasks contain many risk factors that have been associated with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs} in the literature. This work investigated the adoption of a folding transfer-board that reduces friction and therein promotes sliding patients, as opposed to lifting patients, between surfaces during lateral transfers. This device was developed through a participatory process in a prior NIOSH funded project. The primary purpose of the current project was to further our understanding of the issues surrounding the adoption and sustained use of voluntary interventions aimed at preventing MSDs. The project aims were to: 1. Use the framework of the integrated technology acceptance model and task technology fit model as a starting point, to identify and quantify the degree to which specific perceptual and attitudinal factors contribute to the adoption and sustained use of a previously validated musculoskeletal disorder (MSD} intervention; 2. Quantify the degree to which individuals who step up and "champion" an intervention affect the adoption and sustained use of the intervention and to determine the nature of the successful efforts; 3. Characterize, both quantitatively and geographically, the diffusion of a specific musculoskeletal interventions within and between EMS organizations. Methods. We recruited 324 professional EMS workers for a 2-month longitudinal study. At baseline, upon receiving the interventions and monthly thereafter, the participants were surveyed to assess attitudes and perceptions about the transfer board (Aim 1}. In addition, participants were asked to report their actual use of the intervention for the first 5 weeks of the study. Complete and usable data for all analyses were obtained from 187 participants. Results. After the completion of the two-month study period, the multivariate stepwise regression indicated only two factors were predictive of "intention to use": the perceived "ergonomics advantage," and the degree to which the transfer-board was "endorsed by champions" (r2=.58}. Actual use was predicted by: "ergonomics advantage" and "previous tool experience." The structural equation model developed in this study, which builds upon the factor analysis and regression models, identified that the perceived ergonomics advantage (comprised of the following dimensions: "easy to use," "easier on the back," "easier on the shoulder," "compatible with current equipment", and allowing "smoother transfers"} was influenced by access and storage convenience, and to a lesser degree previous experience with the specific intervention. The perceived ergonomics advantage also further influenced the endorsement of the intervention by individual champions, which, in turn, moderately impacts one's intention to use the intervention. The organizational climate factor had only a weak indirect effect through its influence on the endorsement by champions. The theoretical model developed and tested in this study should be further tested with other types of equipment and in other healthcare settings to expand its applicability. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Emergency Responders Ergonomics Musculoskeletal Diseases Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Emergency Medical Services Workers EMS Equipment Testing Intervention Lifting MSD Musculoskeletal Disorders Patient Handling Work Organization
• Series:
  Grant Final Reports
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Final Grant Report
• Place as Subject:
  Illinois ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  OEP - Office of Extramural Programs
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-29
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20056848
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB2019-101418
• Citation:
  Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, R21-OH-009378, 2013 Jul; :1-29
• Contact Point Address:
  Steven A. Lavender, Ph.D., Integrated Systems Engineering, The Ohio State University, 1971 Neil Ave., Rm 210, Columbus, OH 43210
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2013
• NORA Priority Area:
  Healthcare and Social Assistance ; Services
• Performing Organization:
  Ohio State University
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20090901
• Source Full Name:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• End Date:
  20120831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:a483e120bba564a88cf2dc01c19f87d845ccdba455e7c29fccca706637dc3bb10220cabaffe10a087b7504e29e2dec4476e3153844448fc12987d057ed239f0f
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/218915/cdc_218915_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 871.58 KB ]