Can the work of paramedics be re-designed to improve pain and discomfort?
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN77150219 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN77150219 |
| Secondary identifying numbers | HEC21166 |
- Submission date
- 03/11/2021
- Registration date
- 21/11/2021
- Last edited
- 25/06/2024
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Musculoskeletal Diseases
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
People who work in ambulance services commonly experience discomfort and pain in their bodies. This is a problem for the people experiencing it, their co-workers, the patients they treat and overall, affects the way the health system works. Paramedics do vital work in our community.
The aims of this study are to find out:
1. What hazards paramedics report that they are exposed to at work and what types of hazards are most common
2. What level of discomfort do paramedics experience related to their work and in what body areas does this occur
3. Whether a risk management toolkit applied at the station level has an impact on the reported exposure to hazards and/or discomfort
4. What is involved in implementing the risk management toolkit in an ambulance station
Who can participate?
Registered paramedics who are employed in an ambulance service in one metropolitan region
What does the study involve?
Paramedics will complete a short survey on their iPad and then again 12 months later. Some of the ambulance stations will be randomly allocated to use the survey results to implement the risk management toolkit at their station in between surveys.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
If using the toolkit improves the situation for paramedics, they will feel less discomfort and this may directly benefit them and indirectly benefit others. Risks to paramedics could include becoming more aware of their discomfort or other problems at work through the survey.
Where is the study run from?
Queensland Ambulance Service (Australia)
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
February 2022 to September 2024
Who is funding the study?
1. La Trobe University (Australia)
2. Queensland Ambulance Service (Australia)
Who is the main contact?
Karen Davies, Student Investigator
K.Davies@latrobe.edu.au
Contact information
Scientific
La Trobe University
Melbourne
3083
Australia
 ORCID ID |
0000-0002-0484-8442 |
|---|---|
| Phone | +61 (0)3 9479 3235 |
| J.Oakman@latrobe.edu.au |
Public
125 Park Rd
Kedron
4031
Australia
| Phone | +61 (0)7 3635 3568 |
|---|---|
| K.Davies@latrobe.edu.au |
Study information
| Study design | Cluster randomized controlled trial with waitlist controls |
|---|---|
| Primary study design | Interventional |
| Secondary study design | Cluster randomised trial |
| Study setting(s) | Paramedicine, Workplace |
| Study type | Prevention |
| Participant information sheet | Not available in web format, please use contact details to request a participant information sheet |
| Scientific title | Can the musculoskeletal health of paramedics be improved through re-design of the work? |
| Study objectives | The implementation of A Participative Hazard Identification and Risk Management (APHIRM) toolkit will reduce the perceived exposure to work-related hazards and the self-reported discomfort of paramedics. |
| Ethics approval(s) | Approved 28/06/2021, La Trobe University Human Ethics Committee (Plenty Road, Bundoora, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia; +61 (0)3 9479 1144; humanethics@latrobe.edu.au), ref: HEC211166 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Work-related musculoskeletal disorders in paramedics |
| Intervention | The APHIRM toolkit intervention will be undertaken in one region within a large ambulance service in Australia. The Region will be randomly selected from a pool of two matched regions. Within the intervention region, workgroups containing 20 or more paramedics will be formed (approximately 20 groups). The groups will be randomised into three clusters, and the clusters will then be randomised to three consecutive time periods. Workgroups included in the study will be allocated a number. An independent researcher will receive these numbers and assign them using a random number allocator in MS Excel as either a control or intervention group and then randomise alternately from each of these groups, into one of the three time periods. The survey will be administered to all eligible paramedics in all groups in one cluster. Following the closing date, the workgroups in the cluster will be randomised to the intervention or the waitlist control group. The intervention (APHIRM tool kit - risk management team) will be implemented over a 12-month period in the cluster in the intervention workgroups. At 12 months, the survey will be repeated with all workgroups in the cluster. Following the conclusion of the follow-up survey, control wait list workgroups may be offered the intervention as business as usual. The process will be repeated for clusters for time periods 2 and 3 on a rolling schedule over approximately 4-6 months for initiation of all risk management teams. |
| Intervention type | Other |
| Primary outcome measure | Level of self-rated pain and discomfort in body areas, measured using a survey administered at baseline and 12 months |
| Secondary outcome measures | 1. Level of self-rated exposure to work-related physical hazards, measured using a survey administered at baseline and 12 months 2. Level of self-rated exposure to work-related psychosocial hazards, measured using a survey administered at baseline and 12 months |
| Overall study start date | 01/12/2020 |
| Completion date | 30/09/2024 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Health professional |
|---|---|
| Age group | Adult |
| Sex | Both |
| Target number of participants | At least 20 paramedics per group and approximately 20 work groups in the intervention region |
| Key inclusion criteria | Any employee of the intervention region within the ambulance service, at the time of the surveys, who is a Registered Paramedic |
| Key exclusion criteria | Paramedics who are employed in the Bicycle Response Team; Surge Response or Incident Management Room |
| Date of first enrolment | 01/04/2022 |
| Date of final enrolment | 30/06/2023 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- Australia
Study participating centre
Kedron
4012
Australia
Sponsor information
University/education
Plenty Road
Bundoora
Melbourne
3086
Australia
| Phone | +61 (0)3 54447222 |
|---|---|
| J.Oakman@latrobe.edu.au | |
| Website | http://www.latrobe.edu.au/ |
"ROR" |
https://ror.org/01rxfrp27 |
Funders
Funder type
University/education
Government organisation / Universities (academic only)
- Alternative name(s)
- Universitas La Trobeana, La Trobe University, Melbourne Victoria Australia, La Trobe, latrobeuni, latrobe, La Trobe University, Australia, La Trobe University, Victoria Australia, La Trobe University, [LTU] Melbourne, Victoria, LTU
- Location
- Australia
Government organisation / Local government
- Alternative name(s)
- State of Queensland – Queensland Ambulance Service, Queensland Ambulance, The Queensland Ambulance Service, QAS
- Location
- Australia
Results and Publications
| Intention to publish date | 30/06/2025 |
|---|---|
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | No |
| IPD sharing plan summary | Not expected to be made available |
| Publication and dissemination plan | Four peer-reviewed publications are planned from this trial: 1. One protocol paper 2. One on the primary outcome 3. One on the secondary outcomes 4. One on the implementation process |
| IPD sharing plan | Participant-level data will not be available, as ethics approval to share the data has not been given. Specific questions about this can be directed to J.Oakman@latrobe.edu.au if needed. |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protocol article | 08/09/2023 | 11/09/2023 | Yes | No |
Editorial Notes
25/06/2024: The overall study end date was changed from 30/06/2024 to 30/09/2024.
11/09/2023: Publication reference added.
27/03/2023: The following changes were made to the trial record:
1. The recruitment end date was changed from 30/03/2023 to 30/06/2023.
2. The overall trial end date was changed from 30/04/2024 to 30/06/2024.
3. The intention to publish date was changed from 30/12/2024 to 30/06/2025.
08/02/2023: The study setting has been changed from ‘Other’.
24/11/2022: The following changes have been made:
1. The recruitment end date has been changed from 30/11/2022 to 30/03/2023.
2. The overall trial end date has been changed from 31/12/2023 to 30/04/2024 and the plain English summary updated accordingly.
23/02/2022: The recruitment start date has been changed from 01/02/2022 to 01/04/2022.
17/11/2021: Trial's existence confirmed by the La Trobe University Human Ethics Committee.
