title: Patient handling and musculoskeletal disorders among hospital workers: analysis of 7 years of institutional workers' compensation claims data.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are the most common occupational injuries and illnesses among hospital workers in the United States. To date, there is little in the literature examining the principal effect of patient handling on MSDs. The primary objective of this study was to investigate and confirm the principal effect of patient handling on hospital worker MSDs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Workers' Compensation (WC) claims related to MSDs filed during 2003-2009 by employees in a large US healthcare system were classified using ICD-9. Patient handling, demographic, work, and injury characteristics were obtained. Two multivariable Poisson regression models were compared to evaluate association between risk factors and MSDs. One model contained all risk factors, excluding patient handling; the other model included patient handling.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 3,452 claims from 24,824 FTEs, 76% were MSDs. About half of the MSDs involved patient handling. In the regression model without patient handling, EMS workers, women, 50-59 years of age, union members, evening shift workers, and fulltime workers showed associations with MSDs. However, all the observed associations disappeared when patient handling was included in the second regression model; patient handling was the only factor showing an association with MSDs, although the effect was not strong (RR = 1.2, 95% CI = 1.2-1.3).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All the observed associations of risk factors disappeared and were further away from patient handling on the causal pathway to MSDs. Patient handling involves numerous work elements and dynamic physical activities. Understanding the work elements of patient handling and conducting interventions based on specific patient handling tasks can substantially reduce MSDs among hospital workers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Population Health, Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine, Great Neck, NY 11021, USA. hkim8@nshs.edu
authors.forename: Hyun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dropkin
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Spaeth
authors.forename: Francine
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moline
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055805:Moving and Lifting Patients / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D060051:Occupational Injuries / Q000209:etiology*; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D012307:Risk Factors; D013180:Sprains and Strains / Q000209:etiology*; D014481:United States; D014942:Workers' Compensation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data