Abstract
A study was conducted using patients with musculoskeletal disorders, to aid with the development of a model system for providing work place ergonomic accommodations for elderly and disabled workers. An ergonomic assessment module was added to the multi-disciplinary quantified functional assessment of patients with musculoskeletal disorders. Thirty-eight patients (22 female, 16 male) were interviewed by an ergonomist. All of these patients had chronic back pain and other musculoskeletal problems such as leg, head, neck, shoulder or hand pain. The ergonomics module was a 30-minute interview in which information on the current or previous work tasks, equipment, frequency, forceful exertions, and work positions was collected. Observations based on interactions with the medical team providing service demonstrated that data gathered during the ergonomics module resulted in substantially more information about a person's interactions within the work environment than the standard clinical team's assessment.
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