23 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
The goal of this observational study is to quantify ergonomic risk associated with traditional protective equipment in operators working in the cardiac catheterization laboratory as compared with a mobile protection system. The main questions it aims to answer is: What is the mean time spent by operators in positions of high ergonomic postural risk during cases? Participants will wear IMU, EMG, and radiation sensors, as well as complete baseline and discomfort surveys for several catheterization procedures.
The goal of this Hybrid Type 2 effectiveness-implementation trial is to test the Standardized Checklist for Optimizing Procedural Ergonomics in Endoscopy (SCOPE-E) bundle-a multicomponent intervention comprised of a pre-procedure ergonomic timeout checklist and evidence-based implementation strategies-as a strategy to mitigate the risk of Endoscopy-related injuries (ERI) during colonoscopy.
This study is designed to answer if an ergonomist can configure a daVinci robot console to improve surgeon discomfort. Adjustments to the robot console will be surgeon specific as they are tailored to their individual body type. Measurements will be taken at the time of console configuration.
The study is working to identify actions of surgeons in the operating room that can contribute to work-related musculoskeletal disorders. This includes poor positioning and time spent in poor positioning while working in the operating room. The study is also looking to determine if fatigue plays a role in work-related musculoskeletal disorders and whether an education intervention will change ergonomic risk.
The goal of this pilot study is to learn if a class and hands-on-practice of ergonomic body positions - or specific ways to move the body while working to prevent injury - is valuable to training obstetrics and gynecology doctors. The main questions the study team aims to answer are: * Will these lessons successfully teach the participants how to move bodies at work in a way that will prevent injury? * Will the participants feel that learning and practicing such lessons helps to avoid injury while at work? Researchers will compare training obstetrics and gynecology doctors that attend a class on ergonomics and have guided hands-on-practice of ergonomic body positions with training obstetrics and gynecology doctors that attend the class only to see if the first group learns and remembers how to move their bodies safely while working. All participants will attend a class that teaches basic ergonomic lessons before they are divided into two groups. Group 1 will practice common surgery skills on a model while being videotaped by an artificial intelligence application. The application will make a report on unsafe positions a participant does while practicing surgical skills. The Group 1 participant will then go over the report with one of the study supervisors to talk about ways that the participant can move safely while practicing the skills. The participant will then practice the skills one more time while being videotaped. The study supervisors will then compare the two reports to see if the participant improved. Group 2 will also practice common surgery skills on a model while being videotaped. Group 2 participants will not get to see the report that the application generates or speak with the study supervisors about ways to move safely while practicing the skills. There will be a follow up after two months to see if participants remembered what was learned during the class and during the hands-on practice lesson. All participants will again be videotaped. The study supervisors will compare the videos and reports from the last class to the most recent ones to see if the participants learned and remember how to move safely while working. Participants in both groups will take a quiz about the lessons learned in the class before and after the class to determine what had been learned from the lesson. A survey about how useful and helpful the class was and hands-on practice sessions were will also be completed.
This research is being done to explore the potential benefit of a physical therapist-guided stretching program on musculoskeletal pain and well-being.
Masons have the highest rate of overexertion injuries among all construction trades and rank second as an occupation for back injuries in the United States. Identified ergonomic solutions are the primary method of reducing exposure to risk factors associated with musculoskeletal disorders. However, many construction workers lack knowledge about these solutions, as well as basic ergonomic principles. Construction apprentices, as they embark on their careers, are greatly in need of ergonomics training to minimize the cumulative exposure that leads to musculoskeletal disorders. Apprentices receive safety training; however, ergonomics training is often limited or non-existent. In addition, apprenticeship programs often lack "soft skills" training on how to appropriately respond to work environments and practices that are unsafe. The SAVE program - SAfety Voice for Ergonomics - strives to integrate evidence-based health and safety training strategies into the mason apprenticeship skills training to teach ergonomics, problem solving, and speaking up to communicate solutions that reduce musculoskeletal injury risk. The central hypothesis is that the combination of ergonomics training and safety voice promotion will be more effective than no training or either ergonomics training alone or safety voice training alone. Following the development and pilot testing of the SAVE intervention, SAVE will be evaluated in a cluster-randomized controlled trial at 12-15 masonry training centers across the U.S. Clusters of apprentices within centers will be assigned at random to one of three intervention groups (n = 32 per group): (1) ergonomics training only, (2) combined ergonomics and safety voice training, or (3) control group with no additional training intervention. Outcomes assessed at baseline, at the conclusion of training, and then at six and 12 months post training will include: musculoskeletal symptoms, general health perceptions, knowledge of ergonomic and safety voice principles, and perception and attitudes about ergonomic and safety voice issues.
Robotic surgery holds the potential to overcome many of the ergonomic challenges posed by laparoscopic surgery. In this study, we propose to quantify this potential ergonomic benefit by measuring electromyography (EMG) and instrument motion analysis of subjects performing surgical tasks using robotic assistance versus standard laparoscopic instrumentation. Hypothesis: We hypothesize that surgeons will experience significant, measurable ergonomic advantages when performing tasks using robotic surgery when compared to conventional laparoscopic tools. Study design: Subjects for the study will include three groups of varying degrees of training - (1) novice laparoscopists/novice roboticists, (2) expert laparoscopists/novice roboticists, and (3) expert laparoscopsts/expert roboticists. Subjects will perform the following tasks (chosen based on their reliability and validity in previous studies). Each task will be performed with standard laparoscopic instrumentation and with the da Vinci Surgical System. * Inanimate (dry lab): Fundamentals of Laparoscopic (FLS) peg transfer, pattern cutting, intracorporeal suturing. * Animate (porcine lab): laparoscopic bowel resection and anastomosis, robotic bowel resection and anastomosis. * Human (clinical case): any laparoscopic or robotic procedure (preferably laparoscopic bowel resection and anastomosis, robotic bowel resection and anastomosis). Outcome measures: * Time to completion of tasks * EMG: peak amplitudes, % maximum voluntary contraction and frequency analysis * NASA Task Load Index scores * Subject-Reported Qualitative Data from surveys * Quality analysis of tasks (e.g., pattern cutting accuracy, % knots tied securely) for dry lab and animate lab tasks only) * Instrument motion analysis of tasks (for dry lab and animate lab tasks only)
Home care workers (HCWs) are at-risk for chronic pain and associated problems, including emotional distress, opioid use and misuse, and work-related disability. To address these issues, the proposed study will adapt an established peer-led and supportive group program to address the needs of HCWs with chronic pain. The new program, named COMPASS for Navigating Pain (COMPASS-NP), will integrate work-based injury protections with pain education and cognitive-behavioral therapy strategies for pain self-management in order to reduce pain interference with HCWs' work and life, and advance their safety, health, and well-being.
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if this ergonomic protocol can improve performance and reduce ergonomic risk in esports athletes. It will also learn about the insight of esports athletes and their experience in implementing this new protocol. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does this ergonomic protocol improve performance? Does this ergonomic protocol reduce ergonomic risk? Researchers will assign the protocol to esports athletes who meet inclusion criteria and express interest in participating in the study. A pre-post design will be conducted to note any differences. Participants will: * Participate in a 6-week study with 4 in-person visits * Volunteers will be requested to participate in a focus group during Week 6. * Implement the strengthening protocol 3x a week and a warm up/cool down protocol before and after each gaming session. * Attend one educational session about gaming ergonomics during Week 1 * Complete the Rapid Entire Body Assessment, Kovaaks Asessment, and a Questionnaire during Week Zero, Week 3, and Week 6.
The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the impact of different sitting environments on general well-being and movement patterns in healthy young adults aged 18-35. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does floor sitting lead to increased movement and postural changes compared to chair sitting? Over a month-long period, how does sustained floor sitting influence overall well-being, posture, and movement habits? Researchers will compare the effects of chair sitting and floor sitting in a controlled lab environment (Aim 1) and observe the longer-term effects of habitual floor sitting in participants natural environments (Aim 2) to see if consistent floor sitting promotes more dynamic movement and comfort. Participants will: Undergo two 30-minute experimental sitting sessions, one in a chair and the other on the floor, while engaging in typical desk activities (Aim 1). Participate in a month-long study where they integrate an hour of floor sitting into their daily routines, recording their experiences and any changes in sitting habits through daily diaries and in-depth interview (Aim 2).
The healthcare profession of dental hygiene can be a highly stressful academic path and occupation. Physical stressors can quickly lead to postural disturbances and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) due to instrument grasping while under muscle tension, working with vibrating instruments, and performing repetitive micromovements. Chronic, high stress levels have the potential to lead to burnout, fatigue, and other health problems, which can impact a student's ability to perform well in their clinical rotations and didactic studies and may translate into their workforce experiences after graduation. The purpose of this study is to determine whether a relationship exists between Barre stretching and reported stress and pain levels among entry-level dental hygiene students. This study will be a 6-week experimental randomized control trial (RCT) where participants will be assigned to a 15-minute Barre stretching and breathing video two times a week for the experimental group or control group. The continuous dependent variables in this study will be the reported stress levels and reported pain levels of the entry-level dental hygiene students. The independent variable will be the Barre stretching intervention. The participants will include students at two universities enrolled in an entry-level dental hygiene program as first-year students. Baseline data collection for each participant will be obtained, and the study will be analyzed using descriptive statistics, a paired t-test and independent t-test. The statistical significance level will be set at p=0.05.
The primary purpose of this hybrid Type II comparative effectiveness and implementation study is to compare two self-management strategies in nursery and landscape workers. This randomized pragmatic study will compare interventions with different degrees of support to determine if self-management videos plus multimodal personalized support is more effective than self-management videos alone for improving LBP among horticulture workers. Both groups will review short self-management video modules to introduce general pain concepts and the importance of managing pain without medication, risks of opioid use, self-management of pain, and simple ergonomic strategies for both groups. Both groups will choose 1 self-management strategy to manage pain at home and 1 ergonomic workplace strategy to limit pain. The video+support group will receive 1) check-list guidance, 2) review videos of their work tasks, and 3) receive text reminders to support implementation. Surveys will include instruments reflecting low back pain disability, pain, work ability, and affective or cognitive characteristics (self-efficacy, pain anxiety, depression, coping), collected at baseline, pre- and post-intervention, with follow-ups at 3- and 6-months. Workers will be videoed pre- and post-intervention for calculation of work risk and to compare any changes after the intervention. Specific aim 2 will identify contextual factors impacting engagement, adoption, effectiveness, and implementation. Interviews, focus groups, and field notes will be used to explain results and establish patterns to inform future translation.
The goal of this clinical trial is to determine if a wearable back exosuit can make it safer and easier for workers who bend, lift, and lower objects in an industrial setting. Many studies have shown that wearable back exoskeletons or exosuits can provide helpful forces making a person's back muscles work less. It is believed that exosuits can lower a person's level of workplace effort and fatigue, making it less likely for them to have back pain at work. Back exosuits could be a solution to make a job easier, but how well they work in the real-world over a long period of time is unclear. The investigators want to know if workers who wear a back exosuit during the workday will have lower rates of lower back pain or injury than those who are not wearing a back exosuit. The investigators also want to know how well exosuit technology integrates into the workplace (for example, how this technology improves or hinders job performance). Participants will be randomized into an exosuit group or control group. Participants in the exosuit group will be given a back exosuit that they can use as much as they want at work. All participants will complete surveys monthly. Researchers will compare the exosuit group to the control group to see if using a back exosuit in a workplace can reduce a person's risk and impact of low back injury or pain. The investigators also want to see if a back exosuit impacts job productivity and if participants find the exosuit becomes useful or bothersome over time.
Over one million Americans rely on their upper extremities for manual wheelchair propulsion. Shoulder overuse injuries are prevalent among manual wheelchair users and these injuries often result in shoulder pain. Severe shoulder pain can lead some wheelchair users to transition from manual to powered mobility, complicating transportation, and reducing independence in activities of daily living. This project will expand the understanding of a new wheelchair design that allows better positioning of the hand rims and allows for different gearing. The investigators will study steady-state propulsion efficiency with different gear ratios and develop a new system with multiple gear ratios. The advanced gearing will allow for a low gear when initiating movement, going uphill, or when moving over carpet, and then a higher gear option for movements on hard flat level terrain. This system has the potential to dramatically improve shoulder ergonomics and reduce pain in many future manual wheelchair users.
The long-term goal of our research program is to reduce the high incidence of musculoskeletal injury associated with person-handling tasks performed by EMS providers/responders (NORA Public Safety Industry Sector). The literature shows the significant burden of these injuries, many of which affect the back and are debilitating. There is a need for effective ergonomic tools that can assist EMS providers in the patient handling tasks encountered in patient homes, particularly those patient handling situations that include restricted or tight spaces. To address this need, our prior work identified a set of potential ergonomic solutions, using a participatory process with EMS providers, for physically challenging and frequently occurring patient handling tasks that occur in patient homes. A final product of this prior work was the development of the LiftKit, which is a collection of seven tools that were shown in biomechanical validation studies with EMS providers to effectively reduce physical demands during simulated patient handling tasks in a laboratory setting. The overall objective of this proposed research-to-practice application is to evaluate the LiftKit's seven patient handling tools (interventions) in the field to assess their usability, usefulness, and desirability, as well as their impact with regards to preventing musculoskeletal injuries incurred during EMS patient handling tasks. In this field study, 30 LiftKits will be placed on EMS vehicles that service urban, suburban, and rural communities. Given the three-shift operation used by fire-service based EMS departments, there is the potential to recruit between 180 and 270 EMS providers for the study. Immediately following the training on how to use the tools and at 4, 8, and 12 months following the training, participants will be interviewed and questioned about each tools' usability, usefulness, and desirability. Frequency of each tool's use will be assessed with a questionnaire at the time of the interview and a daily Run-Use survey tool. Musculoskeletal injury data due to patient handling tasks during the 12 month follow-up period will be compared with injury data from the three-year period prior to study initiation. The final product of this work will provide the important evidence needed to widely promote the adoption of the ergonomic tools within the LiftKit, in order to reduce MSD injury risk to EMS providers associated with common patient handling tasks.
Chronic low back pain has been identified as a major problem for seafood and agricultural workers, and is known to affect worker health and productivity. The aims of this study are to: 1) identify modifiable, sector-specific, work and movement solutions with the potential to reduce the burden or severity of chronic lower back pain in clam workers and 2) determine the extent that participants adopt identified solution(s), and the impact on functional difficulty and low back pain.
The study aims to determine whether a face to face ergonomic workstation intervention has any advantage over an online instructional training program for acquisition of knowledge, self-efficacy, and habit formation.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most expensive upper extremity work-related musculoskeletal disorder, impacting 10 million people annually and costing employers up to $113,695 per incident. There is currently no established method to detect this disorder prior to the onset of symptoms and nerve damage. Preliminary research suggests that sonography-a relatively inexpensive, widely available, increasingly portable technology-can provide a non-invasive and pain-free method of early detection that could reduce incidence, improve targeted interventions and ultimately reduce costs. The primary aims of this study are to establish predictive validity of a novel method for early detection using sonographic imaging and to identify task components of intensive functional hand activity associated with morphologic changes.
Dentists and dental hygienists experience elevated rates of musculoskeletal disorders, such as carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis, primarily due to the high pinch force required for dental scaling. There is evidence that a lighter and larger diameter tool can significantly reduce the pinch force. This randomized controlled study will determine if dentists or dental hygienists who use such a tool report less hand and arm pain compared to those who continue to use the conventional tool design.
This is a laboratory-based study to evaluate the risk of shoulder injury associated with transfers between wheelchair and vehicle in persons with spinal cord injury. Four new devices will be compared against an unassisted transfer.
This is a research study designed to test the utility of D-shaped bifocal lenses and PRIO Computer Lenses for persons using a computer. We hypothesize that lenses specially designed for computer use may allow more comfortable and productive work on a computer.
The goal of this preclinical trial is to learn about the benefits and limitations of novel robotic devices for microsurgery, based on different levels of microsurgical experience. The main questions it aims to answer are: Is robot-assisted microsurgery faster, better and more ergonomic than conventional microsurgery in a preclinical standardized setting? Participants will perform microvascular anastomoses on 1.0-mm-diameter artificial silicone vessels using a conventional manual approach versus a novel robot-assisted approach. Researchers will compare the performance of novices, advanced participants and experts to evaluate the role of microsurgical experience when learning the new technique.