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Ergonomic Assessment of Patient Underarm Lifting Technique Using Digital Human Modeling

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are becoming increasingly common in healthcare settings. The occurrence of WMSDs in healthcare is supported by studies of the American Nurses Association and the American Hospital Association. In particular, patient handling activities, such as lifting using a wide variety of techniques, have been found to lead to various types of WMSDs among the nursing staff. Therefore, the primary objective of this study is to simulate and evaluate patient Under-arm lifting tasks from an ergonomic perspective using digital human modeling. In this experimental design-based study, clinical staff’s gender (CSG), clinical staff’s weight and height (CSWH) were used as independent variables. The output of the comfort assessment (CA) and rapid upper limb assessment (RULA) toolkits were used as dependent variables. The results showed that trunk thighs, knees and foot calves are the most uncomfortable parts of the lifter during the patient lifting process. Moreover, according to RULA, female clinical staff may experience less discomfort during Under-arm lifting tasks than male clinical staff. The results of this research can assist hospital administrators in designing more effective patient lifting protocols.