Background: Rehabilitation clinicians face a high risk of occupational injury. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are one of the most frequent injuries for these rehabilitation clinicians due to repeated heavy lifting and other forceful tasks. The objective of this study was to identify factors which caused or contributed to WMSDs for clinicians specifically working in rehabilitation settings (e.g., acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, long-term care, skilled nursing, outpatient therapy). Methods: A multifaceted pilot survey was conducted of Montana physical and occupational therapists working at a rural, Montana community hospital. Information on general workload, work-related pain or discomfort, patient handling and clinical experience were gathered using both a scripted interview questionnaire and a semi-scripted post-interview discussion. The survey contained five different categories and took approximately 20 minutes to complete. Six therapists from a local community hospital participated in the pilot survey. Results: Subjects (n=6) were all female and had an average age of 43 with standard deviation of 10. On average, these acute care rehabilitation therapists spent five to eight hours per day delivering “hands on” care to patients. During a typical workday, therapists spent 32% of the time heavy lifting, 37% kneeling/squatting, and 39% bending/twisting. Around half suffered musculoskeletal pain or discomfort but continued to work during the past year. Most pain was caused by transferring and repositioning patients. The clinicians’ necks, middle backs and wrists/hands suffered the most severe pain or discomfort. Adequate mobile floor and overhead lifting equipment as well as a shortage of therapeutic lifting device were reported from the survey. Non-mechanical lifting aids like sit-to-stand aids, friction reducing device and multi-handled gait belts was reflected inadequate for clinicians. Discussion: Physical therapists and occupational therapists are at higher risk for WMSDs due to patient handling tasks. There is limited inpatient therapy resources throughout Montana. More user-friendly and therapeutic patient handling equipment and therapeutic training are required. Application: This study highly followed the principle of core competencies for public health professionals to provide evidence-based results and systematic design to assess the risk of patient handling. Future Research: To study causal factors of WMSDs related to patient handling, additional interviews will be collected across Southwest Montana’s health system.
