Caregivers are exposed to new health hazards as virtual care becomes a bigger part of their workdays. The increased use of computers, cellphones, displays, and other technologies brings health risks usually associated with sitting at an office all day.
Organizational leaders must be aware of the risks that Virtual Care Practices that Improve Worker’s and Caregivers’ well-being with extended computer use and encourage healthy practices that fit this new work environment to protect the caregivers’ well-being.
Recognizing the Health Dangers of Computer Use
Telehealth adoption was greatly pushed by the COVID-19 epidemic, and many patients will still favor virtual care choices. This means that many caregivers will be spending more time in virtual environments with patients and less time traveling between patient rooms, which could hurt their mental and physical well-being.
Prolonged computer use frequently leads to static positions, which exacerbate back and neck problems. Sedentary behaviors, such as sitting for extended periods without getting up or moving around for at least thirty minutes at a time, can also result in repetitive motion injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome.
Risks to Physical Health
Sedentary behavior has been linked in studies to all-cause mortality, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. It is associated with an increased risk of several malignancies, including ovarian cancer, and raises the chance of metabolic syndrome by up to 73%.
Risks to Mental Health
Long-term inactivity also puts one’s mental health and well-being at risk. Prolonged sitting has been linked to increased rates of depression and lower measures of quality of life, according to a study involving about 1,500 adults. Furthermore, a correlation between anxiety and sedentary work has been suggested by several studies.
3 Wellness Work Practices
Organizations must encourage healthy habits to counteract the harmful impacts of computer work and sedentary behavior in the face of rising burnout and high quit rates. Many healthcare experts were previously unaware of this issue.
To promote a proactive “website manner,” take into account the following suggestions:
1. Improve Your Postures
Uncomfortable postures can lead to physical pain and strain, such as stooping over a laptop. Organizations can instead encourage neutral postures by providing wall-mounted desks, mobile workstations, or standing desks for periodic standing.
To assist avoid pain, adopt neutral positions that align the hips, spine, shoulders, and head. Additionally, they make breathing easier and keep eye contact when caregivers are on video calls and are staring at a screen.
Recommendations for Preserving Your Equilibrium Posture While Standing:
- Place the monitor so that the user’s head is level and not tilted while facing ahead.
- Maintain a straight posture with your hands, wrists, and forearms parallel to the ground.
- Orient the ankles, hips, shoulders, and ears.
- Keep your shoulders loose and your upper arms hanging naturally when you position the keyboard.
- Bend elbows 90 to 120 degrees and keep them close to the torso.
Advice on How to Sit with a Neutral Posture:
- Put your feet level on the ground or slightly forward on a footrest.
- Choose a chair that can adjust its armrests, lumbar support, height, and depth, or all three.
- To support your back, sit upright or slant your head slightly back.
- To support the hips, maintain your thighs parallel to the floor.
- Keep your knees a little lower or bring them into line with your hips.
2. Encourage Increased Movement
People in the healthcare industry are frequently recognized for their perpetual mobility. However, encouraging a balance of activity and rest throughout the day can help lessen the negative impacts of sedentary employment and offer several advantages in a sector centered on telehealth:
- Lowering your daily sitting time by at least one hour will help lower your risk of cardiovascular disease.
- One minute of moderate to intense exercise and six minutes of modest activity—like standing to work at a wall-mounted monitor—have comparable health advantages.
- Lowering back and neck pain can be achieved by limiting sitting to 25–75 percent of the working day.
Increased activity during the workplace doesn’t have to interfere with productivity or workflows. These easy desk exercises are suggested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for caregivers and employees:
- Turn the head in half circles from side to side.
- Shrug your shoulders back and forth.
- Move from side to side.
- March or stroll in place.
- Roll up your toes, then your heels again.
- Stretch your right arm out in front of you and sag toward your left hip. Leaning to the other side, repeat with the other arm.
- Raise one knee, then bring it down. Continue with the opposite knee.
- After pushing both arms forward, retract your elbows.
- Raise both arms, then lower them.
3. Put Adjustable Workstations in Place
With the correct equipment, maintaining neutral postures during sitting or standing is made easier. There are several alternatives available to organizations that promote comfort and safety while preserving efficient operations.
Wall workstations, wall-mounted monitor arms, and sit-stand desk converters are useful for caregivers who require or prefer permanent workspaces. For ergonomic comfort, several have independently adjustable keyboards or monitors. For professionals who must travel throughout a building, mobile medical carts also offer an ergonomic fit.
A good ergonomic desk should take the following factors into account:
- Can you readily adjust this product?
- Is it compatible with add-on devices such as a keyboard that can be adjusted or a monitor?
- Is there a minimum of three points for adjustment?
- Do the adjustment points stand alone from one another?
- Is there a PC on wheels that works with any kind of carpet or flooring?
- Does the product originate from a well-known business with a strong track record of customer satisfaction and performance?
Put your well-being first
Regardless of how staff and caregivers work, there is a constant need to cultivate a culture that supports well-being in light of the ongoing shift to virtual care. Organizations should prioritize their people and support excellent patient care by implementing flexible office furniture, promoting greater activity, and improving posture.
Consult AFC Industries for more detailed information and specialized solutions about healthcare ergonomics. Caregivers and staff may retain their health and well-being while providing the best possible patient care thanks to our knowledge of ergonomic design and workplace solutions. For more on how we may assist your company in establishing a more productive and health-conscious workplace, visit our website or get in touch with us.