Work‐related musculoskeletal injuries among obstetricians and gynaecologists: A cross‐sectional survey of Fellows of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG)

Abstract

Background Obstetricians and gynaecologists (O&Gs) are at a risk of work‐related musculoskeletal injuries (WRMI) on a daily basis. Aims To describe the prevalence of WRMI among O&Gs in Australia and New Zealand, explore risk factors for such injuries, and evaluate their impact. Methods An online survey of Fellows of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists was conducted in July 2016. It comprised questions on personal attributes, type of work, site and cause of WRMI, if any and treatment required. Results We received responses from 765 O&Gs giving a response rate of 38.3% (765/1997). Four hundred and ten specialists (53.6%) reported suffering a WRMI at some point, including 252 (32.9%) who reported multiple injuries. In multivariable analysis, females had increased risk of WRMI (odds ratio (OR): 2.12; 95% CI: 1.54–2.91) and among generalists and subspecialists, gynaecological oncologists had highest risk for WRMI (OR: 3.13; 95% CI: 1.21–8.14). Commonest sites of injury were back (218/633, 34.4%) and shoulder (131/633, 20.7%). Laparoscopic surgery (117/633, 18.5%) was the commonest cause of injury. Treatment was required for 88.6% of injuries (561/633) including 8.4% (53/633) of cases which required surgery. Ongoing symptoms post‐injury were reported for 52.1% of injuries (330/633) and in 25.8% (163/633) of instances the practitioner needed to modify their scope of work. Conclusion This survey among a large cohort of O&Gs shows a high prevalence of WRMI with a profound negative impact on the practitioner and profession. There is a pressing need to advocate for improved ergonomics in their workplaces.

Does surgeon sex and anthropometry matter for tool usability in traditional laparoscopic surgery? A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Sample frames for the survey studies included surgical societies [ 35 , 38 , 42 – 45 , 48 , 49 , 53 , 56 , 60 ], social media [ 36 , 69 ], or local universities and hospitals [ 37 , 39 , 40 , 46 , 47 , 49 , 51 , 58 ]. Five studies considered representation and compared the demographics of their respondents in relation to the rest of the target population [ 38 , 43 , 46 , 49 , 60 ]. Surveys, when provided, were considered relevant for addressing the research aims.…”

“…The remaining studies used original surveys [ 38 , 42 – 44 , 46 , 48 , 49 , 51 , 53 , 56 , 58 , 60 ]. Survey validation with a smaller cohort was only mentioned in three articles [ 35 , 37 , 43 ]. Results were generally given as a prevalence, mean and standard deviation, or median and interquartile range.…”

“…Most studies provided a full [ 38 – 40 , 45 – 47 , 49 , 51 , 58 ] or partial [ 35 , 42 , 48 , 53 , 60 , 69 ] set of p-values to demonstrate significant differences based on demographic factors or the presence of symptoms. Eight studies performed univariate and multivariate analysis to consider how factors such as biological sex or glove size contributed to risk of injury [ 35 , 37 , 38 , 43 , 45 , 46 , 48 , 49 ]. Stated response rates varied between 0.62 [ 69 ] and 64.2% [ 40 ].…”

“…Two studies based this calculation on the number of opened emails rather than sent emails, increasing their response rate [ 35 , 44 ]. Six studies recognized the possibility of nonresponse bias [ 37 , 38 , 42 – 44 , 53 ], although only three provided a calculation for how this may impact results [ 37 , 38 , 43 ].…”

“…Several survey studies presented the mean height of those experiencing physical discomfort compared to those without pain. Sutton et al [ 48 ] and Lloyd et al [ 44 ] reported that surgeons with symptoms were taller on average, whereas Kapoor et al [ 43 ], Franasiak et al [ 38 ], and Dalager et al [ 37 ] found the opposite result. There was no observable trend across studies.…”