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Sillars Thesis 2019.pdf (1.15 MB)

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Balancing Act: Female Surgeons Adaptations to the Operating Environment

Sillars, Dawn
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1546611638366225

Abstract Details

2019, Master of Science, Ohio State University, Industrial and Systems Engineering.
This study used a qualitative approach to attempt to provide further insight into the causal mechanisms for the previous findings of investigations which have documented a higher prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms and/or disorders in women surgeons when compared to their male colleagues. One-on-one in-depth interviews were conducted with twelve women surgeons practicing in a range of surgical subspecialties, with a wide range of years of experience. Surgeons described the factors of their work system which resulted in awkward postures, requirements for high levels of manual force, exertions while maintaining static postures, as well as operating while physiologically strained due to minimal opportunities to eat or hydrate, combined with insufficient periods for physical recovery. These factors included manual patient handling, suboptimal task height related to operating room tables, deficiencies in instrument design related to their hand size and strength capacity, and a culture of surgery which does not advance the general well-being of surgeons. Many of the issues raised in these interviews can be addressed through application of known human factors engineering design principles, leading to an operating room environment that
Carolyn Sommerich (Advisor)
Steven Lavender (Committee Member)
188 p.
Design; Engineering; Health; Health Care; Health Care Management; Health Sciences; Medicine; Womens Studies
engineering; medicine; healthcare; design; human factors; ergonomics; surgeon; womens studies; gender; sex; operating room; OR; occupational health; workplace safety; musculoskeletal symptoms; musculoskeletal disorder; medical device

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Sillars, D. (2019). Balancing Act: Female Surgeons Adaptations to the Operating Environment [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1546611638366225

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Sillars, Dawn. Balancing Act: Female Surgeons Adaptations to the Operating Environment. 2019. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1546611638366225.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Sillars, Dawn. "Balancing Act: Female Surgeons Adaptations to the Operating Environment." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1546611638366225

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1546611638366225
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.