A survey of 130 directors of programs and institutions accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education revealed surgical training programs in the U.S. largely lack ergonomics education, Reuters Health reported. Here are six statistics from the survey results, published in the Annals of Surgery:
1. Only two directors said their surgical training program offers formal surgical ergonomics education, even though surgeons face a high risk of musculoskeletal disorders.
2. About 25 percent of U.S. surgical training programs include some type of surgical ergonomics education.
3. Eighty-seven percent of surgeons experienced musculoskeletal pain while operating, according to a separate report from Boston-based Harvard Medical School.
4. Due to work-related musculoskeletal disorders, 43 percent of surgeons modify their practice.
5. Musculoskeletal pain causes 9 percent of surgeons to retire.
6. In 76.7 percent of current informal surgical ergonomics education programs, trainees seemed to believe it was worthwhile to learn surgical ergonomics skills.