Musculoskeletal Sonography & Occupational Performance Laboratory

12/08/2023

Hot off the press: Strategies to Support Sonographer Health and Well-Being!

This study emphasizes the importance of external support and proposes the theory "Risk Reduction Relies on Proper Employee Representation." Findings stress the need for holistic approaches at societal, legal, and organizational levels to support sonographer health adequately - Figure 2 in the article demonstrates these interconnected layers.

Injury prevention and health promotion insights from sonography users fall within five themes: resource needs, injury education, individual habits, ergonomics training challenges, and guidelines importance. The study suggests the need for a shift towards organizational and regulatory interventions, emphasizing the role of accrediting bodies in setting and enforcing standards.

Read all about these findings in the free access article here: https://doi.org/10.1177/87564793231217217

Objective: Work-related injuries have a major effect on worker health and well-being. This is particularly true in sonography, where work-related musculoskeleta...

11/27/2023

Did you know that an increased workload can impact next-day cognitive processing speed? 🧠😶‍🌫️

While it's important to monitor acute workload, we should also be aware of next-day carry-over and longer-term cumulative effects of workload on employee performance.

Read more here: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04400-y

Workload experienced over the whole day, not just work periods, may impact worker cognitive performance. We hypothesized that experiencing greater than typical whole day workload would be associated with lower visual processing speed and lower sustained attention ability, on the next day. To test th...

11/25/2023

Occupational therapy is critical for supporting and enhancing worker health and well-being. OTs provide a holistic perspective considering the complex and highly individual intersectional lived experiences of workers, which is unique from other worker health and ergonomics professionals.

Despite the pivotal role that work has played in the historical roots of occupational therapy, Work and Industry is a woefully underrepresented practice area. The thematic analysis in this article uncovers the primary career pathways, accumulation of expertise, professional identity, and challenges of OTs in W&I practice. The findings contribute insights as to how OT practitioners learn about W&I practice and how they develop and progress through careers in W&I practice settings.

The article underscores the necessity of addressing underrepresentation through targeted efforts in the recruitment and retention of OT professionals in W&I. It serves as a call to action for enhancing the visibility and recognition of the vital role OTs have in this practice area by professional associations (e.g., AOTA). To gain a comprehensive understanding of the experiences of W&I OT practitioners, and explore avenues for advancing this essential aspect of occupational therapy, read the full article here: https://doi.org/10.1177/15394492231213253

The involvement of occupational therapy (OT) providers in work and industry (W&I) has noticeably diminished despite the historical and ontological connection be...

11/17/2023

Concerning new stats for sonographers: 75% of sonographers report burnout, which is strongly associated with experiences of work-related musculoskeletal pain. There is also a negative association between higher burnout and how many years sonographers plan to stay in the profession.

As burnout and work-related musculoskeletal disorders persist, the article calls for proactive solutions in workplace culture to ensure the health and well-being of our workers and to sustain our workforce to meet the population's growing healthcare demands.

Read more in the newly released Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JDMS) article here: https://doi.org/10.1177/87564793231211325

11/15/2023

Does your office environment maximize your performance?

This study examined the interactions of noise, lighting color, and temperature on cognitive performance in office workers. Among our results, we found that temperature impacts selective attention during cognitive tasks, and these environmental factors had different effects on creativity between genders.

Read more of our findings here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2023.110743

11/11/2023

Navigating the complexities of workplace stress is imperative for fostering a resilient and thriving workforce! Our research has delved into stress management within office environments, examining the potential impact of ambient scents—specifically, the soothing aroma of bergamot. 💆‍♀️💆‍♂️

In our study exploring stress restoration during office tasks, the findings underscore a nuanced connection with gender. While females generally experience a sense of relaxation, their male counterparts show signs of increased stress levels. The research not only adds a new dimension to the application of ambient scents in offices but also challenges the one-size-fits-all approach to stress management strategies.

As organizations continue to prioritize employee well-being, these findings offer insights into tailoring stress-relief interventions that resonate with the unique needs of each individual. Let's continue to explore innovative solutions for creating work environments that not only enhance productivity but also prioritize the mental and emotional well-being of our workforce. 💪💼✨



Click to read more in the Journal of Environmental Psychology publication.

10/31/2023

This study uncovered critical factors related to the health and well-being of workers who work from home. Three years later, it's unclear if or how the physical and mental health of individuals working remotely has improved in the new ways of working that have emerged. While many of the at-home distractions are different in the post-COVID work-from-home era, It's vital that we now examine more complex constructs related to boundaries, belonging, access, and equity in the emerging era of flexible work arrangements.

istic regression and chi-square tests were used to understand factors associated with overall physical and mental health statuses and number of new physical and mental health issues. Results: Decreased overall physical and mental well-being after WFH were associated with physical exercise, food inta...

10/23/2023

The newest findings from our longitudinal study supported by the Sonography Grand Challenge Alliance* are now available! This report highlights critical work system factors associated with work-related discomfort in 2924 sonographer respondents working within four unique primary practice areas (Abdominal, Echo, OB/GYN, and Vascular). Among various factors, workflow interruptions are the most common factor associated with work-related discomfort across all practice areas. Sonographers experiencing the average interruptions, about 46% of workdays, are 1.5-2 times more likely to have musculoskeletal symptoms, headaches, or visual discomfort.

You can follow the link to read more in the freely available Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography article.

*Alliance funding supporting this research was provided by: Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Inteleos and ARDMS, American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM), American Society of Echocardiography, Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC), Society for Vascular Ultrasound, JRC-CT, and Biodex.

Objective: Explore the differing associations of Sonography Work Systems (SWS) model factors with work-related discomfort outcomes among sonographers in four so...

09/29/2023

Healthcare Heroes’ Kryptonite! COVID had significant downstream effects on the health and well-being of healthcare workers, who bore the burden of the dissonance between experiencing intense workplace stress while being celebrated as "heroes." Read more in this Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography article about the experiences of sonographers.

Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography

https://doi.org/10.1177/87564793231185297

Objective: This work aimed to explore how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the work of sonographers and vascular technologists. Materials and Methods: A follow-up...

09/05/2023

Sonographic imaging of the median nerve is rapidly becoming a common clinical diagnostic technique, yet, there are few resources for reference values of healthy median nerve measurements. This meta-analysis reviewed nearly 20,000 sources to identify all studies that measured healthy median nerves, and it provides clinicians and researchers with validated reference values for healthy median nerve cross-sectional area. There are no differences between dominant or non-dominant sides, nor significant differences with age in the adult population. Most importantly, men can have healthy median nerves that exceed the recommended diagnostic threshold for carpal tunnel syndrome (>10mm2).

Click the link to read more in this new Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography study and add this to your clinical reference list!

Objective: Establish median nerve cross-sectional area (CSA) reference values and identify patient-level factors impacting diagnostic thresholds. Materials and ...

08/22/2023

Updated representative sample data for work-related discomfort among sonographers - prevalence remains significantly high at 86% of sonographers regularly experiencing work-related musculoskeletal discomfort!

Read the full open-access report of findings from our survey of >3,600 sonographers supported by the U.S. WRMSD Sonography Alliance that highlights critical work, organizational, and environmental factors contributing to MSK discomfort, visual discomfort, and headaches. The article includes a dire call to action for healthcare administrators to enact organizational change to support the health and well-being of users of ultrasonography in the workplace.



Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography Society for Vascular Ultrasound American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) Canadian Medical Sonographers Association (CMSA) Sonography Canada - Échographie Canada American Society of Echocardiography Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) The Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography Australasian Sonographers Association BMUS (British Medical Ultrasound Soc)

Objective: Work-related discomfort is a pervasive issue among ultrasonography users. The Sonography Work Systems (SWS) framework was constructed as a means of e...

08/14/2023

Clinicians should carefully consider information accuracy AND readability as part of determining quality when developing, selecting, and providing patient educational materials. This example of assessing materials for carpal tunnel syndrome can be easily adapted to educational materials for other conditions.

To evaluate the quality of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) patient education handouts and identify the best resources for patients and clinicians.