Validity and reliability of Japanese version of the MAPO index for assessing manual patient handling in nursing homes.

Objectives: Low back pain (LBP) among caregivers in Japanese nursing homes has long been considered an occupational health issue. This study aimed to verify the reliability and validity of our developed Japanese version of the Movement and Assistance for Hospitalized Patients (J-MAPO) index, a risk assessment tool for LBP, in nursing homes.

Methods: Two inspectors assessed 15 nursing homes using J-MAPO, and deduced 3 LBP risk levels as follows: low, moderate, and high risk.

[Preventive strategies for patient manual handling in a major hospital].

Patient manual handling (MHP) and an increase in the average age of the healthcare workforce increase the risk of musculoskeletal disorders and diseases, leading to sickness absence. Targeted interventions, supported by management, have been proven effective for workplace safety and can lead to improved quality of care.

Latin Questionnaire: a threshold strategy for anamnestic screening of occupational musculoskeletal disorders through specific reference groups.

Introduction: Health surveillance programs conducted for both individual workers and working populations as a whole are managed by occupational health physicians and focus on disorders and diseases caused by biomechanical overload, primarily for preventive purposes.

Objectives: The purpose of the paper is to update an anamnestic protocol for studying musculoskeletal disorders after more than 40 years experience of its application. The updated version has been re-named the Latin Questionnaire.

Application of MAPO (movement and assistance of hospitalized patients) method in hospitals and nursing homes: 20 years of experience and evolution - part 1.

This article illustrates the evolution of the MAPO method for quantifying the risk of musculoskeletal disorders associated with patient handling.The main factors that have influenced MAPO risk determinants include the rising number of disabled patients (D), growing understaffing, and the increased availability of equipment and training.Hospital wards and especially nursing homes have been provided with lifting equipment since 2008; however, 73.

MAPO Method to Assess the Risk of Patient Manual Handling in Hospital Wards: A Validation Study.

Objective: To validate the effectiveness of MAPO method (Movement and Assistance of Hospital Patient) after the introduction of some changes to improve assessment objectivity.

Background: The number of operators exposed to patient manual handling is increasing considerably. MAPO, proposed in 1999 as a useful tool to estimate the risk of patient manual handling, is a method characterized by analytical quickness.

Context specificity in the assessment of psychosocial risk at work: an empirical study on Italian call centre workers.

Background: Following EU requirements, in recent years standard procedures for the assessment of work-related stress have been developed in Italy. However, while such standardization has facilitated the spread and use of these procedures, it has brought a lack of specificity in risk assessment.

Objectives: To exemplify a method for the assessment of work-related stress that was developed by the University of Milan to allow the definition of risk profiles tailored to the different organizational settings.

[Screening of patient manual handling risk using the MAPO method].

Background: International standards draw attention to the steps that risk assessment should follow to first identify hazards, then proceed to risk evaluation and lastly, if necessary, risk assessment. The same logic also applies to risk assessment of manual patient handling.

Objectives: To check appropriateness of approach to "risk evaluation" of manual patient handling using MAPO, a cross sectional study was carried out aimed at checking the relationship between this new risk assessment model (MAPO screening) and occurrence of acute low back pain.

Screening of risk from patient manual handling with MAPO method.

International standards highlight the steps required by risk assessment and involving first hazard identification, then risk evaluation and finally, if necessary, risk assessment. To check approach appropriateness to "risk evaluation" from manual patient handling through MAPO, a cross study was carried out in view of checking relationship between this new risk assessment model and occurrence of acute low back pain. After proper training the MAPO screening method was assessed in 31 wards, 411 exposed subjects of geriatric hospitals.

Digestive endoscopy and risk of upper limb biomechanical overload.

Background: For several years the literature has reported a high prevalence of upper limb musculoskeletal disorders among medical staff carrying out digestive endoscopy.

Objectives: The EPM research unit, in cooperation with the Italian Society of Digestive Endoscopy (SIED) and with the patronage of the Italian Society of Ergonomics (SIE), undertook research that would permit assessment of upper limb biomechanical overload using the OCRA method during gastroscopy and colonoscopy and, via a pilot study, collect health data on 179 workers employed in endoscopy services.

Results: Risk analysis showed slight exposure levels for the arm bearing the instrument and a medium-to-high exposure for the other arm.

[Criteria for classification of upper limb work-related musculo-skeletal disorders due to biomechanical overload in occupational health. Consensus document by an Italian Working Group].

Background And Objective: In a preliminary consensus document the authors proposed criteria and methods to identify upper limb work-related MSDs due to biomechanical overload. With this document they intend to define severity according to shared models and procedures so as to fit behaviours to diagnostic procedures and their medical-legal assessment. This becomes especially important in view of Ministerial Decree of April 27 2004 fixing the new lists of diseases having a possible work-related origin that must be reported by law in accordance with art.

[Musculoskeletal conditions of the upper and lower limbs as an occupational disease: what kind and under what conditions. Consensus document of a national working-group. ISPESL].

Background And Objectives: In via of the progressive emergence in Italy of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, the EPM Research Unit decided to set up a national working group with the aim of producing a Consensus Document including methods and criteria as an initial attempt towards managing such diseases as true "listed" work-related diseases as is already done in the other European Union countries. The working group includes experts from INAIL, ISPESL, welfare assistance institutions, local prevention and health protection services: The group's research activity was included in ISPESL's funded research plan.

Contents: The Consensus Document includes a review of epidemiologic issues reported in the international literature, comments on the application of current legislation, observations on the guilt profiles of employers and occupational physicians, as well as medical-legal issues.