Gao Grace, C L So Billy, Cheng Andy S K, Man Siu Shing, Ng Shamay S M
Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
School of Health Sciences, Western Sydney University, Penrith, Australia.
Ergonomics. 2024 Oct 13:1-13. doi: 10.1080/00140139.2024.2413150.
Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) have been a concern among healthcare workers, impacting their well-being and patient safety. Exoskeleton technologies have gained a growing interest as an ergonomic intervention for WMSDs. This scoping review explores exoskeleton effects on WMSDs among healthcare workers. A comprehensive search identified 9 eligible studies published in English between 2013 and 2023. Exoskeletons showed promising effects on objective measures, selectively reducing muscle activation in a task-dependent manner. They also improved force exertion and body posture parameters in specific scenarios. Subjectively, exoskeletons reduced discomfort, pain, fatigue, and received positive perceptions with acceptable usability. However, the impact on perceived exertion varied with tasks. While exoskeletons have shown potential in enhancing healthcare workers' well-being and performance, more work is required to refine their effectiveness and maximise benefits in different healthcare settings. The study revealed the need for standardised methodologies, consideration of participant characteristics, and optimisation of exoskeleton design.
与工作相关的肌肉骨骼疾病（WMSDs）一直是医护人员关注的问题，影响着他们的健康和患者安全。作为一种针对WMSDs的人体工程学干预措施，外骨骼技术越来越受到关注。本范围综述探讨了外骨骼对医护人员WMSDs的影响。一项全面检索确定了2013年至2023年间以英文发表的9项符合条件的研究。外骨骼在客观测量方面显示出有前景的效果，以任务依赖的方式选择性地减少肌肉激活。它们还在特定场景中改善了力量施加和身体姿势参数。主观上，外骨骼减轻了不适、疼痛、疲劳，并获得了对可用性可接受的积极评价。然而，对感知用力的影响因任务而异。虽然外骨骼在提高医护人员的健康和绩效方面显示出潜力，但仍需要更多工作来提高其有效性，并在不同的医疗环境中实现效益最大化。该研究揭示了对标准化方法、参与者特征的考虑以及外骨骼设计优化的需求。
