Work-related musculoskeletal disorders in ultrasound practice, the contextual concerns of sonographers

Bolton, Gareth C. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5453-4257 , Booth, Lisa ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7957-6501 and Miller, Paul K. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5611-1354 (2024) Work-related musculoskeletal disorders in ultrasound practice, the contextual concerns of sonographers. In: UK Imaging and Oncology Congress 2024 (UKIO 2024): Vision and values: Putting people first, 10-12 June 2024, Liverpool ACC, UK. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Background: Work-related musculoskeletal disorder (WRMSD) are already widespread among sonographers, at least partly due to the additional physical stresses of working in understaffed environments (Harrison & Harris, 2015). While contemporary research has described the broad picture regarding WRMSD in ultrasound (Bolton and Cox, 2015), none has, to date, extensively explored its personal and professional impacts from a qualitative perspective.

Method: Extended semi-structured interviews with N=9 experienced sonographers working in the UK were conducted and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA; Miller, Booth and Spacey, 2019). Core thematic areas that emphasised personal and professional impacts of WRMSD were then further examined to highlight how participants specifically made sense of them.

Results: Analysis revealed six pertinent themes: (a) Sonographers’ attributions around WRSMD; (b) Resistance to sickness-labelling; (c) Making sense of vulnerability and risk; (d) Sickness, pain and impact on self; (e) Health, fitness and self-preservation.

Conclusion: The research built upon and extended existing accounts which have offered broad insights into WRMSD (Gemark Simonsen and Gard, 2017, Bolton and Cox, 2015). By utilising IPA as a foundation for thematic analysis, the research has provided rich contextualised narratives of the experiences of the participants selected.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Poster)
Departments:	Institute of Health > Medical Sciences
Depositing User:	Paul Miller
Date Deposited:	24 Mar 2024 12:14
Last Modified:	24 Mar 2024 12:15
URI:	https://insight.cumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/7586

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