Practitioner-Identified Priorities for Dedicating Resources to Address Workplace Factors Impacting Sonographer Health and Well-Being

Abstract

Objective:

Supporting sonographers’ health and well-being requires targeting the workplace factors they identify as most influential. This study examined sonographers’ perspectives to guide priorities for resource allocation and solution development.

Materials and Methods:

An online survey of 1276 U.S. and Canadian sonographers asked participants to rate 30 workplace factors across four categories—workflow, equipment/physical environment, administrative/organizational environment, and training/health practices—on their perception of impact on well-being and importance for understanding and improving. Respondents selected up to five factors as the highest priorities for immediate action and resource allocation.

Results:

Five factors ranked among the top 10 across specialties and were rated as significantly impactful and important by more than two-thirds of respondents: productivity requirements (76.9% impact, 74.3% importance), staff scheduling policies (73.2%, 74.4%), supervisor support (72.1%, 71.2%), exam room furniture (73.1%, 68.0%), and ultrasound machine design (69.3%, 75.6%). Exam scheduling was the top priority across all practice areas and the only factor identified in the top five by a majority of all respondents.

Conclusion:

While specialty area differences exist, sonographers consistently identified administrative and organizational factors as the most impactful, important, and of highest priority for immediate action. Addressing these concerns requires contextualized solutions developed with direct practitioner input.