Currently there exists no strategy for evaluating digital radiology reading
rooms. This is of concern since the number of symptomatic radiologists suffering
from work related musculoskeletal problems seems to be on the rise. Work related
musculoskeletal complaints have been shown to be related to workstation set up, chair
settings, monitor placement and other issues related to the computer workstation. Due
to the visually intensive nature of the work of radiologists working with digital
medical images, it is also important to look at factors in the ambient environment,
such as lighting.
A checklist was developed to evaluate environmental factors in the work
environment of radiologists. The checklist contained 39 questions divided into
sections on display screens, input devices, workstation and workstation accessories,
chair and ambient conditions. The items in the checklist were taken from checklists
and educational material published for example by independent researchers, the
Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) and the Canadian Standards
Association. Answer options for each item consisted of factual statements,
measurements, rating or a simple description. Some answer options included images
for postural comparison. The checklist was not accompanied by a scoring sheet, but
items that, if answered in a particular way, could be classified as “Ergonomic Issues”
were identified in the checklist instructions and layout.
To evaluate the checklist, a mailing survey was sent to practicing radiologists,
hospital administrators, ergonomists and other health and safety professionals. In the
survey, respondents were asked four questions, both open ended and closed-ended,
relating to the usability, layout and overall comprehensiveness of the checklist. The
experts were also encouraged to provide general comments on the checklist. Twelve
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non-factual items or items that required rating or subjective scoring were tested with
multiple rater agreement (interrater reliability) and by percent agreement between
participants and between participants and an ergonomist. The individual items were
tested by asking participants to base their answers based on a series of standardized
images depicting a model radiologist performing various tasks, such as reading an
image from a computer monitor, use a computer mouse and telephone.
Twenty one participants, aged 18-58 years old completed the Interrater
reliability - Individual Item Test. Six were male and 15 female. Eight participants
were experts, or had background in ergonomics, facility planning and management or
similar human-environment relations fields. The Interrater reliability of the items
tested was .50 (p< 0.05) for the experts, and 0.10 for the novices (p