Overexertion injuries in home health care workers and the need for ergonomics.

Home health care workers have high rates of back injuries and other musculoskeletal problems. This article addresses issues surrounding work-related overexertion injuries in home health care workers, including summaries of relevant research on workers in home settings as well as in traditional health care settings such as hospitals and nursing homes. The main work factors associated with these injuries are forceful exertions and awkward postures during patient- care tasks, especially while lifting and moving patients. Ergonomics-the design of work tasks to best accommodate natural human capabilities-is the most promising approach for preventing injuries, and for enhancing the comfort and safety of workers and patients.