Author(s):
Sabino, Inês ; Fernandes, Maria do Carmo ; Cepeda, Cátia ; Quaresma, Cláudia ; Gamboa, Hugo ; Nunes, Isabel L. ; Gabriel, Ana Teresa
Date: 2024
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10362/166751
Origin: Repositório Institucional da UNL
Project/scholarship:
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/6817 - DCRRNI ID/UIDP%2F00667%2F2020/PT;
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/6817 - DCRRNI ID/UIDB%2F00667%2F2020/PT;
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/6817 - DCRRNI ID/UIDB%2F04559%2F2020/PT;
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/6817 - DCRRNI ID/UIDP%2F04559%2F2020/PT;
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/6817 - DCRRNI ID/LA%2FP%2F0104%2F2020/PT;
Subject(s): Direct measurements; Physical risk factors; Wearable devices; Work conditions; Human Factors and Ergonomics; Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health; SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
Description
Funding Information: The authors acknowledge Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT-MCTES) for its financial support via the project UIDP/00667/2020 and UIDB/00667/2020 (UNIDEMI). Research was also supported by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia through research Grants UIDB/FIS/04559/2020 and UIDP/FIS/04559/2020 (LIBPhys) and LASI-LA/P/0104/2020 (LASI), from FCT/MCTES, Portugal. Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Authors
Healthcare professionals are exposed to multiple physical risk factors related to the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSD), which significantly affect their quality of life. Several ergonomic methods have been developed for identifying risk factors in the workplace. Among these, wearable devices that perform direct measurements have demonstrated outstanding potential in recent years to provide reliable, non-invasive, and continuous exposure assessment. Therefore, this systematic review aims to describe the use of wearable technology for the ergonomic risk assessment of healthcare professionals. Twenty-nine publications were selected following PRISMA guidelines based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria set. Most of the articles were published in the last three years, confirming a growing trend in the research on this topic. Most wearable devices, which were used isolated or combined, consist of inertial sensors used to measure and assess the exposure to awkward postures and sEMG sensors, which provide the measurement of muscle activity parameters related to the force applied while performing work activities. The main results and respective analyses provided insights into the strengths and limitations of using wearable technology to acquire data on several work activities performed by healthcare professionals. Future research is needed to widen and validate the applicability of wearable technology in support of ergonomic interventions aimed at preventing the development of WRMSD among healthcare professionals.
