Fitting participatory ergonomics research within an ambulance service
Tracks
Room 3
| Wednesday, December 2, 2026 |
| 1:50 PM - 2:10 PM |
| Concurrent Room 2 |
Overview
Karen Davies
Speaker
Dr Karen Davies
Queensland Ambulance Service
Fitting participatory ergonomics research within an ambulance service
Abstract
Context
A participatory ergonomics research project about the prevention of WMSDs in paramedics was conducted in an ambulance service around the time of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Aim
This presentation aims to highlight what went well, what did not and to share learnings from this real-world research program, for those aspiring to fit research interventions into complex workplaces.
Approach
The A Participatory Hazard Identification and Risk Management (APHIRM) toolkit was implemented in an ambulance service, to enable paramedics to generate solutions aimed at addressing physical and psychosocial hazards and associated sources of risk. The mixed methods study was conducted over several years, as part of the requirements for a professional doctorate. The student investigator also works in the ambulance service.
Results
Conducting real-world intervention research in an operating ambulance service is important to improve the musculoskeletal health of paramedics, but also professionally challenging, even for in-house personnel. The student investigator made several adjustments to the research protocol throughout the program, in response to operational requirements and the intervention process. Consequently, the outputs of the research program were different to those identified when designing the study. The research program resulted in several manuscripts and a thesis containing recommendations for the ambulance industry and health and safety stakeholders.
Implications
Despite the unexpected changes, this research program has contributed to furthering academic and professional knowledge about the implementation of the APHIRM toolkit in an ambulance service and the risk controls that may support improved musculoskeletal health. Context specific recommendations were possible because this research program was adjusted to fit into an operating ambulance service during the implementation of the APHIRM toolkit intervention, despite a pandemic. Intervention research in complex workplaces is challenging and essential to advance HFE evidence and context specific fit.
A participatory ergonomics research project about the prevention of WMSDs in paramedics was conducted in an ambulance service around the time of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Aim
This presentation aims to highlight what went well, what did not and to share learnings from this real-world research program, for those aspiring to fit research interventions into complex workplaces.
Approach
The A Participatory Hazard Identification and Risk Management (APHIRM) toolkit was implemented in an ambulance service, to enable paramedics to generate solutions aimed at addressing physical and psychosocial hazards and associated sources of risk. The mixed methods study was conducted over several years, as part of the requirements for a professional doctorate. The student investigator also works in the ambulance service.
Results
Conducting real-world intervention research in an operating ambulance service is important to improve the musculoskeletal health of paramedics, but also professionally challenging, even for in-house personnel. The student investigator made several adjustments to the research protocol throughout the program, in response to operational requirements and the intervention process. Consequently, the outputs of the research program were different to those identified when designing the study. The research program resulted in several manuscripts and a thesis containing recommendations for the ambulance industry and health and safety stakeholders.
Implications
Despite the unexpected changes, this research program has contributed to furthering academic and professional knowledge about the implementation of the APHIRM toolkit in an ambulance service and the risk controls that may support improved musculoskeletal health. Context specific recommendations were possible because this research program was adjusted to fit into an operating ambulance service during the implementation of the APHIRM toolkit intervention, despite a pandemic. Intervention research in complex workplaces is challenging and essential to advance HFE evidence and context specific fit.
Biography
Karen is a Physiotherapist and Certified Human Factors and Ergonomics Professional. Karen recently completed a professional doctorate at La Trobe University and has worked for more than 25 years in the healthcare industry delivering in-house ergonomics and health and safety expertise.
