Musculoskeletal disorders contribute to 34% of work-related injuries in the United States that result in missed days from work (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2013). Healthcare workers are at a particularly high risk of injuring themselves in the hospital setting. Low back pain (LBP) has a significant public health impact as back injuries have the highest rate of occurrence out of all musculoskeletal disorders. Risk factors for LBP include obesity, joint disease, poor posture, and poor lifting techniques. Two frequently used treatments for LBP, with some evidence of effectiveness, are chiropractic and massage therapy. Prevention is critical to reducing the incidence of LBP. Exercise programs that incorporate aerobic and strength-training have proven effective at preventing LBP (Hasan et al., 2010). Evidence-based guidelines for managing LBP include prescribing acetaminophen, educating the client, and treating in a primary care setting (Williams et al., 2010). / This project is being conducted at a local hospital in rural eastern North Carolina. This hospital has experienced a high incidence of work-related LBP. The purpose of this project is to compare usual practice with best practice for the prevention and management of LBP among hospital workers. Collaboration and policy development and enforcement are two public health interventions used in this project. This project is a collaborative partnership with an interdisciplinary team including the staff development nurse, employee health nurse, rehabilitation specialist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, and insurance coordinator. The two project objectives are 1) to interview and observe the work of 5-7 key informants who are involved in LBP prevention and management, and 2) to make 2-4 recommendations, based on findings, to the hospital administration on the prevention and management of LBP. In this program evaluation, data generated from key informants will be organized in a matrix to identify gaps between usual and best practice. In collaboration with the staff development nurse this data will be analyzed and interpreted to provide recommendations in the prevention and management of LBP by February 26, 2014.
