Pilot Study: The Impact of a Wellness Intervention on Workplace Health. Presented by: Helen Tam, BSc OT Musculoskeletal Injury Prevention Advisor

Transcription

1 Pilot Study: The Impact of a Wellness Intervention on Workplace Health Presented by: Helen Tam, BSc OT Musculoskeletal Injury Prevention Advisor

2 Vancouver Coastal Health Serves over 1,000,000 people Provides acute, residential, and community services Largest employer in B.C.

3 Background BC Healthcare system is burdened with staffing difficulties Recruitment and retention Illnesses and absences from work High rates of work injuries Escalating costs Healthcare sector has highest rate of work injuries, more than any other sector in BC

4 Background MSI Rate for Vancouver Coastal Health Rate per 100 FTE Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3 Quarter 4 Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3 Quarter 4 Quarter 1 Quarter

5 Wellness Program Wellness = A dimension of health beyond the absence of disease or infirmity, including social, emotional and spiritual aspects of health. Services focus on promotion or maintenance of good health rather than correction of poor health Examples: - nap room - wellness centre - massage therapy

6 Wellness Program Nurses with job satisfaction, control over practice, & job demands had physical health (Letvak, 2005) Focus on mental well-being Pilot Project: Staff surveyed given 4 choices Massage Therapy: chosen intervention

7 On-site Massage Therapy stress perception after chair massage (Brennan, 2003) pain intensity & tension levels, relaxation & overall mood after massage (Katz, 1999)

8 Study Hypothesis Worksite wellness intervention program (massage therapy) positively affects workplace morale, job satisfaction, and pain/discomfort.

9 Study Design George Pearson Centre: residential care facility Built 1952, covering 27 acres Currently home to a diverse patient population

10 Study Design 150 participants Baseline survey: repeated 3x s to establish validity (Q1, Q2, Q3) Intervention (massage tx) x 4 weeks Follow-up survey (Q4, Q5, Q6) Figure X Évaluation methodology. Q = Questionnaire

11 Questionnaire: Job Satisfaction & Morale General Nordic Questionnaire for Psychological & Social Factors at Work Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree Considering all my efforts and achievements, I receive the respect I deserve at work I feel that there is a lack of recognition for good work I feel that there is a lack of support from management I feel that I get appreciated for the work I do I am very satisfied with my job

12 Questionnaire: Pain & Discomfort Brief Pain Inventory (short form) Rating: 1(no pain) to 10 (bad as you can imagine) Please rate your pain by circling the one number that best describes your pain on the AVERAGE. Circle the one number that best describes how, during the past 24 hours, pain has interfered with your: Normal Work Mood Relations with other people General Activity

13 Study Design Analysis: post intervention vs.baseline (Q4 vs. Q3, Q5 vs. Q3, Q6 vs. Q3) (i) total scores and (ii) paired Figure X Évaluation methodology. Q = Questionnaire

14 Study Design: Intervention Self-scheduled sessions Treatment by Registered Massage Therapist 20 mins - 1/ week for 4 weeks

15 Study Design

16 Results: Pain & Discomfort Pain severity Pain interference p< Survey 3 Survey 4 Survey 5 Survey Survey 3 Survey 4 Survey 5 Survey 6

17 Results: Pain & Discomfort Pain Severity: Matched Frontline Workers Worse Improved p<0.05

18 Results: Job Satisfaction & Morale Work culture Quality of work-life Survey 3 Survey 4 Survey 5 Survey Survey 3 Survey 4 Survey 5 Survey Recognition p< Survey 3 Survey 4 Survey 5 Survey 6

19 Results Pain severity Pain interference Recognition Quality of work-life Work culture Immediate (Q4 vs. Q3) improved (p<0.05) improved improved improved worse Long-term (Q5/6 vs. Q3) worse worse improved (p<0.05) worse worse (p<0.05)

20 Perception of Massage Therapy 80% 78.5% 79.7% 59.4% 40% 39.9% 20.3% 20.3% 0% 0.7% 1.3% 0.0% Survey 4 Survey 5 Survey 6 Effective Not effective Don't know

21 Interpretation/Discussion Massage therapy: Initial pre-existing msi symptoms Possible initial job satisfaction and morale Improvements did not persist long-term Trend towards subsequent pain and job satisfaction & morale (increased awareness?)

22 Employee Comments Twice, I experienced upper back pain from work. After having massage at the end of work, I could keep coming to work the next day. Also, the pain reduced fast which really surprised me. I m not like before, after work, I go home and complain about my work to family members. The program really helps relax me and provides a day or two of relief from stress/headache thus enables me to concentrate at work. This therapy circumvented the need to take pain medication the next day.

23 Employee Comments It helped release some of the stress from my shoulders and neck which helped relieve my headaches. With zero headaches, my work days are much easier, my mood is good and I work better with others. It was mentally refreshing to know that someone out there cares for our well being, from this I gained strength and encouragement to carry out highly physical and mentally challenging job tasks. I felt that my employment was of value to the employer.

24 Clinical/Program Implications Workplace wellness program: Targeted individuals most likely to benefit Must be sustained Must be as an adjunct to other health & safety programs Further study is warranted to examine the efficacy of a workplace-based massage therapy program

25 Other VCH Programs Shifting to Wellness: help healthcare shift workers lead healthier lives Innovation Fund: supports staff initiatives to reduce workplace injuries Nap Room study: investigate whether napping can improve staff / patient safety Prevention Early Active Return-to-Work Safely (PEARS): on-site physiotherapy

26 Project in partnership with: Elaine J. Lee, BSc (Kin), Ergonomics Project Coordinator Chris Back, BSc (Kin), Ergonomics Program Manager Maziar Badii, MD, MHSc, FRCPC, Director of Injury and Disability Prevention Occupational Health and Safety Agency for Healthcare in BC