Body@Work

Effectiveness of the RSI QuickScan in relation to primary, secondary and tertiary prevention of RSI.
 

PERIOD
April 2004 to May 2008
 

FUNDING
Arbo Unie BV
 

INVESTIGATORS
E.M. Speklé^1,4,5
Dr. M.J.M. Hoozemans^1,4
Prof. Dr. Ir. P.M. Bongers^2,4
Prof. Dr. A.J. van der Beek^3,4
Prof. Dr. J.H. van Dieën^1,4

¹ Institute for Fundamental and Clinical Human Movement Sciences, Faculty of Human Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit
² TNO Quality of Life | Work and Employment
³ Institute for Research in Extramural Medicine (EMGO Institute), VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam
⁴ Body@Work, Research Center on Physical Activity, Work and Health, TNO-VUmc
⁵ Arbo Unie
 

OBJECTIVES
Disorders of the upper extremities, of which the origins are related to work, are a significant problem among the working population. Arbo Unie has recently developed a questionnaire to measure the known risk factors for RSI and register complaints about the upper extremities, the RSI Quickscan. This Quickscan is developed to achieve effective preventive measures to avoid RSI-complaints and optimal treatment of RSI among computer workers. The objective of this project is to examine the effect of the RSI Quickscan use on the intervention strategy and the effectiveness of the interventions coupled to the Quickscan in relation to the onset and course of RSI-complaints. In this process, the relation between costs and effectiveness will also be examined.
 

METHODS
In order to determine the (cost) effectiveness of the RSI Quickscan with accompanying interventions, a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) is initiated in which different companies and departments will participate. All employees within these companies and departments will (on the baseline) fill out the RSI Quickscan. Next, the companies and departments will be randomly divided into a control group and an intervention group. Control group means, in this case, a company or department that does not make use of the interventions offered by Arbo Unie in the area of RSI on the basis of the by Quickscan determined risk profile. The intervention group will indeed make active use of the results of the RSI quickscan with accompanying interventions. The time span of the follow-up is 12 months. Data about the exposure to the risk factors and the prevalence of complaints of the upper extremities will be collected from all employees at 6 and 12 months after the start of the research. In addition, the preventive measures taken during the follow-up period will be inventoried.
The predictive validity of the RSI Quickscan will be examined in a prospective (24 months), large scale cohort study.
 

RESULTS
Not yet available.

Erwin Speklé
More information:
e-mail: e.spekle@fbw.vu.nl
tel: +31 020-4448460