New Preventive Interventions of Occupational Injuries among Healthcare Workers

Abstract

Introduction: Current epidemiological data underscores the severity of this issue, revealing that approximately 31% of healthcare practitioners encounter occupational injuries annually. The aim of this systematic review is to comprehensively investigate and synthesize the latest evidence pertaining to novel preventive interventions designed to mitigate occupational injuries among health workers.

Methods: The systematic review implemented a robust search strategy across PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library, utilizing Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms and keywords with Boolean operators (AND, OR) to refine the search and ensure relevance. The inclusion criteria focused on studies investigating novel preventive interventions for occupational injuries among health workers, limited to English publications within a specified timeframe. The comprehensive initial search yielded a substantial number of potential studies, which underwent rigorous screening by two independent reviewers. Full-text assessment was based on predetermined inclusion criteria, with discrepancies resolved through discussion and consensus. Systematic data extraction followed a predefined form, covering study design, sample size, population characteristics, intervention details, and reported outcomes.

Results: The systematic review included eight interventional studies involving a diverse range of healthcare professionals across various settings, recognizing the unique challenges faced by frontline workers. The primary outcomes assessed revealed a promising reduction in the incidence of occupational injuries, ranging from 15% to 35% across different interventions. Additionally, the interventions demonstrated positive impacts on safety behaviors and a notable decrease in absenteeism due to injuries, emphasizing the multifaceted benefits of tailored preventive measures in sustaining a healthy and efficient healthcare workforce.

Conclusions: The consistency of our findings with existing literature provides further support for the efficacy of such measures. However, the observed variations underscore the need for tailored approaches, emphasizing the importance of context-specific strategies to optimize outcomes in diverse healthcare settings.