Centre for Ergonomics and Human Factors, School of Psychology and Public Health, College of Science, Health and Engineering, La Trobe University , Melbourne, Australia.
Department of Management and Marketing, La Trobe Business School, College of Arts, Social Sciences and Commerce (ASSC), La Trobe University , Melbourne, Australia.
J Health Organ Manag. 2017 May 15;31(3):331-346. doi: 10.1108/JHOM-03-2017-0061.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine whether occupational health and safety (OHS) management used to manage musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the aged care sector reflects contemporary research evidence of best practice to reduce the incidence of these disorders. Design/methodology/approach In total, 58 interviews were conducted with managers and supervisors in the aged care sector across four organisations in Australia. Policies and procedures relating to MSDs were reviewed for each organisation. Findings Policies and procedures for managing MSDs do not reflect contemporary evidence, which supports a complex aetiology, related to a range of physical and psychosocial workplace factors. Despite strong evidence that psychosocial factors contribute to MSD development, these were not included in the policies and procedures reviewed. Findings from the interviews management practices including leadership and various components of HRM were functioning well but fragmentation was evident due to the challenging nature of the aged care sector. Practical implications To address the significant burden of MSDs in the aged care sector, policies and procedures need to include coverage of psychosocial and physical workplace factors. The development of systematic and integrated OHS management at the workplace level may play an important role in the effective management of MSDs. Originality/value This study offers insights into the previously unexplored area of MSD risk management and the role of management practices such as HRM in the aged care sector.
目的 本文旨在探讨老年护理行业中用于管理肌肉骨骼疾病（MSD）的职业健康与安全（OHS）管理是否反映了减少这些疾病发病率的最佳实践的当代研究证据。
设计/方法/途径 在澳大利亚的四个组织中，共对老年护理行业的经理和主管进行了 58 次访谈。对每个组织的 MSD 相关政策和程序进行了审查。
发现 MSD 管理政策和程序并未反映当代证据，后者支持一种复杂的病因，与一系列物理和心理社会工作场所因素有关。尽管有强有力的证据表明心理社会因素会导致 MSD 的发展，但这些因素并未包含在审查的政策和程序中。从访谈中发现，管理实践（包括领导力和人力资源管理的各个组成部分）运作良好，但由于老年护理行业的挑战性性质，存在明显的碎片化现象。
实际意义 为了应对老年护理行业中 MSD 的巨大负担，政策和程序需要包括对心理社会和物理工作场所因素的覆盖。在工作场所层面制定系统和综合的 OHS 管理可能对 MSD 的有效管理发挥重要作用。
原创性/价值 本研究探讨了肌肉骨骼疾病风险管理和人力资源管理等管理实践在老年护理行业中的作用这一以前未被探索的领域。
