Applied ErgonomicsPub Date : 2025-04-10DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104530
Adeola Bamgboje-Ayodele , Adrian Boscolo , Nicki Newton , Amina Tariq , Melinda Dao , Miranda Shaw , Owen Hutchings , Tim Shaw , Steven M. McPhail , Melissa Baysari
{"title":"Detection and management of clinical deterioration in a virtual hospital: A work system analysis","authors":"Adeola Bamgboje-Ayodele , Adrian Boscolo , Nicki Newton , Amina Tariq , Melinda Dao , Miranda Shaw , Owen Hutchings , Tim Shaw , Steven M. McPhail , Melissa Baysari","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104530","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104530","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Timely detection and management of patient deterioration is critical to minimise adverse events and death. The study aimed to understand the processes of detecting and managing deterioration in a virtual care environment, assess work system barriers and facilitators, and identify changes needed to the technology. Data were collected using interviews and document reviews and presented as process map and a work system analysis. We found that nurses and patients were key stakeholders in detecting deterioration, while management of deterioration was primarily performed by doctors and patients. We uncovered more barriers in the detection process than the management process, with the majority of barriers relating to technologies. Most facilitators related to people and included clinician expertise and carer support. Duplication of work and difficulty assessing some signs virtually were also revealed as barriers to the deterioration detection process. This study led to work system changes to mitigate some of these barriers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"127 ","pages":"Article 104530"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143817600","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Applied ErgonomicsPub Date : 2025-04-08DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104519
Steven A. Lavender , Carolyn M. Sommerich , Anas Kachlan
{"title":"A field test of the EMS LiftKit: Validating its usability, usefulness, and desirability","authors":"Steven A. Lavender , Carolyn M. Sommerich , Anas Kachlan","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104519","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104519","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This research-to-practice (R2P) study aimed to evaluate the usability, usefulness, and desirability of the LiftKit's seven patient handling tools in real world patient handling tasks experienced by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers. These tools were previously shown to effectively reduce physical demands during simulated patient handling tasks in a laboratory setting. Sixteen LiftKits were deployed across five EMS organizations. Follow-up interviews were conducted periodically at each site after LiftKit implementation and a usability, usefulness, and desirability survey was administered at the completion of the 12-month trial. Results from the survey show that those who used the tools provided strong usefulness and usability ratings. Desirability ratings were generally strong, though somewhat varied, across the participating organizations. Consistent themes across the final interviews were that the tools were useful, especially in tight spaces, and versatile. Overall, the study confirmed the usability and usefulness of the LiftKit tools in real patient handling situations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"127 ","pages":"Article 104519"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143792012","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Applied ErgonomicsPub Date : 2025-04-07DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104520
C.A. Rue , S.D. Myers , C.A.J. Vine , V.R. Nevola , B.J. Lee , E.F. Walker , S.L. Coakley , T.R. Flood , J. Doherty , S. Jackson , J.P. Greeves , S.D. Blacker
{"title":"A job task analysis of the physical demands of manually preparing a 4-person battle trench as a military defensive position","authors":"C.A. Rue , S.D. Myers , C.A.J. Vine , V.R. Nevola , B.J. Lee , E.F. Walker , S.L. Coakley , T.R. Flood , J. Doherty , S. Jackson , J.P. Greeves , S.D. Blacker","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104520","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104520","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Aim</h3><div>Conduct a Job Task Analysis (JTA) to quantify the physical demands of preparing a defensive position by British Army Ground Close Combat (GCC) roles.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>Subjective data to describe the demands of preparing a defensive position were gathered from focus groups (n = 90) and questionnaires (n = 1495). Eight GCC personnel were observed preparing a defensive position which involved digging, lifting, and carrying materials. The oxygen cost of digging was measured using staged reconstructions at <em>slow</em> (12 shovels min<sup>−1</sup>, n = 16) and <em>fast</em> (22 shovels min<sup>−1</sup>, n = 13) rates.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The JTA identified digging trenches, filling sandbags, and shovelling debris as principal tasks of preparing a defensive position. Oxygen cost during the <em>fast</em>-digging rate (27.45 ± 4.93 ml kg<sup>−1</sup> min<sup>−1</sup>) was 26 % greater than the <em>slow</em>er rate (21.75 ± 2.83 ml kg<sup>−1</sup> min<sup>−1</sup>; <em>p</em> < 0.001, <em>d</em> = −1.461).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Digging a defensive position was identified by military experts as a critical job-task, with variability in metabolic cost dependent on work rate. Data may inform selection, training, and technology interventions to improve task performance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"127 ","pages":"Article 104520"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143785505","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Applied ErgonomicsPub Date : 2025-04-03DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104516
Ben Grindley , Katie Phillips , Katie J. Parnell , Tom Cherrett , James Scanlan , Katherine L. Plant
{"title":"Avoiding automation surprise: Identifying requirements to support pilot intervention in automated Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV) flight","authors":"Ben Grindley , Katie Phillips , Katie J. Parnell , Tom Cherrett , James Scanlan , Katherine L. Plant","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104516","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104516","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The breadth and depth of Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV) operations are expanding at a considerable rate. With expansion comes challenges for the design of automation to support decision making. This research takes the perceptual cycle model (PCM) and the derived trust version of the Schema World Action Research Method (T-SWARM), to identify the issues and challenges of pilot intervention in UAVs operating during highly automated states. Nine UAV pilots with current experience operating medium to large UAVs were interviewed, using T-SWARM, about incidents in which they initiated an intervention in system operation (i.e. to avoid weather or collision) and an event where the system initiated the intervention (i.e. due to system failure). The coded responses highlighted the challenges with what information is displayed, how it is displayed and how it influences decision-making in the UAV context. In addition, the responses also identified aspects that influence trust in the system, including personal disposition, affect interventions with the automation. Against each of the key factors identified recommendations are made to increase safety and operational efficiency of UAV operations. This research adds to the growing body of literature that supports the application of T-SWARM for eliciting knowledge in the aviation domain and specifically within the UAV domain.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"127 ","pages":"Article 104516"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143767590","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Applied ErgonomicsPub Date : 2025-04-01DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104513
Haozhi Chen , Peiran Liu , Guoyang Zhou , Ming-Lun Lu , Denny Yu
{"title":"Computer vision and tactile glove: A multimodal model in lifting task risk assessment","authors":"Haozhi Chen , Peiran Liu , Guoyang Zhou , Ming-Lun Lu , Denny Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104513","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104513","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Work-related injuries from overexertion, particularly lifting, are a major concern in occupational safety. Traditional assessment tools, such as the Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation (RNLE), require significant training and practice for deployment. This study presents an approach that integrates tactile gloves with computer vision (CV) to enhance the assessment of lifting-related injury risks, addressing the limitations of existing single-modality methods. Thirty-one participants performed 2747 lifting tasks across three lifting risk categories (LI < 1, 1 ≤ LI ≤ 2, LI > 2). Features including hand pressure measured by tactile gloves during each lift and 3D body poses estimated using CV algorithms from video recordings were combined and used to develop prediction models. The Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model achieved an overall accuracy of 89 % in predicting the three lifting risk categories. The results highlight the potential for a real-time, non-intrusive risk assessment tool to assist ergonomic practitioners in mitigating musculoskeletal injury risks in workplace environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"127 ","pages":"Article 104513"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143747866","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Applied ErgonomicsPub Date : 2025-03-28DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104512
Devi Abhishek Soman , Samuel Nelson Koscelny , David Neyens , Ann Dietrich , Meera Narasimhan , Kevin Taaffe , David Allison , RIPCHD.PED Study Group , Anjali Joseph
{"title":"Using patient journey mapping and provider workflows to understand process barriers to pediatric mental and behavioral health care in emergency departments","authors":"Devi Abhishek Soman , Samuel Nelson Koscelny , David Neyens , Ann Dietrich , Meera Narasimhan , Kevin Taaffe , David Allison , RIPCHD.PED Study Group , Anjali Joseph","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104512","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104512","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>With the rise in mental and behavioral health (MBH) conditions among school-age children in the United States (US), the number of Emergency Department (ED) visits have also increased. However, ED settings struggle to meet the needs of children with MBH conditions safely and efficiently. This study integrated SEIPS (Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety) 3.0 and 2.0 frameworks to explore the temporal and non-linear aspects of pediatric MBH patients’ journey and work processes (professional, patient, and collaborative work) to identify process barriers to pediatric MBH care in the ED. This mixed-method, multiple case study used observations, staff interviews, and time stamps of patient visits from electronic medical records at four EDs in the south-eastern US to inform the integrated patient journey and staff workflow process maps. Most barriers identified related to “medical and psychiatric evaluations” and “disposition and treatment plan” segments of the patient journey, suggesting potential points for interventions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"126 ","pages":"Article 104512"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143714296","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Applied ErgonomicsPub Date : 2025-03-23DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104508
Nedonya Abreek-Sarhan , Bilal Sarhan , Leonid Kalichman , David Ezra , Yaacov G Bachner , Deborah Alperovitch-Najenson
{"title":"Development of ergonomic risk factors (physical and psychosocial) questionnaire among preschool teachers' work environment","authors":"Nedonya Abreek-Sarhan , Bilal Sarhan , Leonid Kalichman , David Ezra , Yaacov G Bachner , Deborah Alperovitch-Najenson","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104508","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104508","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are prevalent and costly among preschool teachers and assistants (PTAs), contributing to high turnover rates. This study aimed to develop a self-assessment ergonomic questionnaire to evaluate physical and psychosocial risk factors in PTA work environments. A total of 318 PTAs were randomly selected to complete an online questionnaire covering demographic details, musculoskeletal pain, and occupational conditions, rating 73 items (attitudes) related to <strong>everyday</strong> tasks and psychosocial risk factors. The finalized Preschool Teachers' Work Environment Questionnaire (PEQ) comprised 46 items across five domains, demonstrating high reliability (Cronbach's Alpha: 0.814–0.953) and excellent test-retest stability (ICC >0.97). Logistic regression revealed significant associations between ergonomic factors (e.g., awkward and static postures, repetitive motions, and improper tools and equipment design) and WMSDs. The PEQ is an effective tool for identifying WMSD risk factors, underscoring the need for interventions that improve the well-being of PTAs. Future research should predict WMSD among diverse preschool teachers' populations in Israel and globally to identify risk factors and develop targeted prevention strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"126 ","pages":"Article 104508"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143687611","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Applied ErgonomicsPub Date : 2025-03-20DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104510
Hanjun Park, Alex Noll, Sunwook Kim, Maury A. Nussbaum
{"title":"Passive arm-support and back-support exoskeletons have distinct phase-dependent effects on physical demands during cart pushing and pulling: An exploratory study","authors":"Hanjun Park, Alex Noll, Sunwook Kim, Maury A. Nussbaum","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104510","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104510","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Arm-support exoskeletons (ASEs) and back-support exoskeletons (BSEs) can be effective in reducing physical demands during various occupational tasks, yet evidence of their effects in pushing and pulling tasks remains limited. We examined the effects of using a passive ASE and a BSE on task completion time, shoulder and trunk kinematics, and muscle activity in the shoulder and back while pushing and pulling a moderately loaded (100 kg) cart. Forty volunteers (24 M and 16 F) completed the study. Using the BSE substantially reduced thoracic and lumbar erector spinae muscle activity for males, especially during the initial and ending phases of pushing (by up to ∼31.4 %) and pulling (by up to ∼25.4 %) compared to the <em>No Device</em> (ND) condition. In contrast, using the ASE showed no significant benefits, with females experiencing an increase in anterior deltoid muscle activity (by up to ∼46.3 %) compared to ND. Findings from this study help to understand the effects of BSEs and ASEs in pushing and pulling tasks and support the development of more versatile exoskeletons.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"126 ","pages":"Article 104510"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143674591","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Applied ErgonomicsPub Date : 2025-03-20DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104506
Jacqueline Hannan , Gary Weiner , Leia Stirling
{"title":"Assessing posture and fatigue during neonatal positive pressure ventilation","authors":"Jacqueline Hannan , Gary Weiner , Leia Stirling","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104506","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104506","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Healthcare professionals (HCPs) are often required to complete their work under suboptimal ergonomic conditions in critical situations, inducing fatigue and musculoskeletal injury risk. These risks may vary depending on equipment and technique choices, which could require differing postures. Neonatal positive pressure ventilation (PPV) is administered to newborns who require resuscitation by holding a face mask over the nose and mouth and forcing air into the lungs with a device, such as a T-piece or a self-inflating bag (SIB). This study assessed if varying PPV device type and mask hold strategies impacted fatigue and musculoskeletal injury risk. Results show that using a SIB caused more frequent forearm extensor muscle fatigue (47.61% of trials) compared to the T-piece (14.29% of trials) and increased shoulder musculoskeletal injury risk (mean shoulder elevation angles: 45.58°(SIB) vs. 27.29°(T-piece)). When these devices are clinically comparable, the T-piece should be implemented for improved ergonomic outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"126 ","pages":"Article 104506"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143674546","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Applied ErgonomicsPub Date : 2025-03-18DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104487
Davood Dadkhah , Hamed Ghomashchi , Tilak Dutta
{"title":"Human slip perception while walking on ice: Can we rely on self-reported slip counts for winter footwear evaluations?","authors":"Davood Dadkhah , Hamed Ghomashchi , Tilak Dutta","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104487","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104487","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fall-related injuries on icy surfaces are a major public health concern. Slip-resistant winter boots that incorporate the latest composite outsole technologies have demonstrated the potential to prevent falls in winter weather in lab-based testing. However, the real-world benefits of this composite footwear remain difficult to measure because of a lack of accurate evaluation methods. In particular, existing methods rely on comparing self-reported slip counts to identify differences in slip resistance performance between different footwear models. However, prior research has primarily focused on slip detection on soapy and oily surfaces, revealing that small slips (<span><math><mo>≤</mo></math></span>30 mm) often go undetected, with humans correctly identifying them only 50% of the time. No studies have yet examined slip perception on icy surfaces, which possess significantly lower coefficients of friction compared to soapy and oily environments. The objective of this study was to investigate the agreement between self-reported slip counts and motion capture detected slips while walking on ice with winter footwear.</div><div>Twenty-five healthy participants were asked to walk on ice surfaces (melting ice 0.5 ± 1.0 °C and cold ice -3.5 ± 1.0 °C) while wearing three models of winter boots with varying slip resistance performance (poor, moderate, good) and were asked to report any slips they experienced. Ground truth slip identification and slip length measurement was done using an 8-camera Vicon motion capture system. Slips were categorized as small slips (<span><math><mo>≤</mo></math></span>30 mm), moderate slips (30–100 mm), or large slips (<span><math><mo>></mo></math></span>100 mm) for each boot and the proportion detected by participants was calculated.</div><div>A total of 7743 slips were identified from 53,944 steps captured by the motion capture system with 4395, 1999 and 1349 slips recorded from the boots with poor, moderate and good slip resistance, respectively. These included 1658 small slips, 2521 moderate slips, and 3564 large slips. Overall, participants only reported 38.3% of these slips including 375 small slips (22.6% reported), 823 moderate slips (32.6% reported) and 1767 large slips (49.6% reported). These findings showed a strong positive correlation between self-reported slips and slip length (<span><math><mi>ρ</mi></math></span> = 0.573, <span><math><mrow><mi>p</mi><mo><</mo><mn>0</mn><mo>.</mo><mn>001</mn></mrow></math></span>) demonstrating that participants were significantly more likely to report larger slips.</div><div>The findings of this study demonstrate the need to develop more objective methods of recording slip events for real-world winter footwear evaluations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"126 ","pages":"Article 104487"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143641789","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}