P86. The effect of workplace wellness program on disability, function and pain in health care workers with low back pain: analysis of 3,040 employees at an academic health center

BACKGROUND CONTEXT Health care workers often suffer from work-related musculoskeletal disorders, especially low back pain (LBP). LBP is the second leading cause of work absence, and has many socioeconomic consequences. Improving employee wellness and reducing health care costs are objectives of employers’ workplace wellness programs. In these programs, employees are encouraged to adopt healthier lifestyles to manage existing disease and to prevent future health problems. PURPOSE (1) identify LBP risk factors for health care workers; and (2) to describe the effect of a workplace wellness program on health care providers with LBP. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING Retrospectively analysis of prospectively data collected data from 2016 to 2022. PATIENT SAMPLE A total of 3,040 academic health center health care workers. OUTCOME MEASURES Disability & Functional Outcomes Measurements (DFOMs) and Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS). METHODS Health care providers underwent an initial screening including a computer-adaptive survey of health-related quality of life, biometric tests, and a functional movement assessment. An Orthopaedics Workplace Wellness Program (OWWP) was offered to health care providers at risk for, or with, musculoskeletal disorders. The OWWP provided a mix of structured physical rehabilitation (including cardiovascular, strengthening, flexibility, balance, and coordination) and other interventions. The OWWP concluded with employees completing the screenings done at intake. Logistic regressions and repeated-measurement ANOVA were used to identify risk factors and to evaluate the effect of the OWWP program, respectively. RESULTS Out of the 3,040 health care providers (39.8 years old and 81.7% females), 77.1% (2,345) suffered from LBP. The LBP group presented with significantly reduced flexibility, altered balance, weakness, and reduced ability to perform voluntary squats, arm curls, and walking in comparison to the non-LBP group (p<0.001). A significant difference was also observed between the LBP and non-LBP groups in PROMIS physical function, pain interference, fatigue, anxiety, social function, and sleep quality (p<0.001). LBP was explained most by PROMIS pain interference score (27.1%), PROMIS fatigue (15.9%), previous work injury (11.2%), and flexibility (9.5 %). Health care providers with LBP who completed the OWWP showed improved weakness, flexibility, single-leg balance, twisting, and better performance of voluntary squats, arm curls, and walking (p<0.002) along with improvement in all measured domains of PROMIS (0<0.001). CONCLUSIONS DFOMs and PROMIS analyses successfully assess and describe LBP patients. PROMIS pain interference, PROMIS fatigue, previous work injury, and flexibility were most useful in identifying the health care worker at risk for LBP. OWWP completed by health care workers at an academic medical center was associated with improvements in disability and functional measurements as well in several recognized patient-reported outcome measures. FDA Device/Drug Status This abstract does not discuss or include any applicable devices or drugs. Health care workers often suffer from work-related musculoskeletal disorders, especially low back pain (LBP). LBP is the second leading cause of work absence, and has many socioeconomic consequences. Improving employee wellness and reducing health care costs are objectives of employers’ workplace wellness programs. In these programs, employees are encouraged to adopt healthier lifestyles to manage existing disease and to prevent future health problems. (1) identify LBP risk factors for health care workers; and (2) to describe the effect of a workplace wellness program on health care providers with LBP. Retrospectively analysis of prospectively data collected data from 2016 to 2022. A total of 3,040 academic health center health care workers. Disability & Functional Outcomes Measurements (DFOMs) and Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS). Health care providers underwent an initial screening including a computer-adaptive survey of health-related quality of life, biometric tests, and a functional movement assessment. An Orthopaedics Workplace Wellness Program (OWWP) was offered to health care providers at risk for, or with, musculoskeletal disorders. The OWWP provided a mix of structured physical rehabilitation (including cardiovascular, strengthening, flexibility, balance, and coordination) and other interventions. The OWWP concluded with employees completing the screenings done at intake. Logistic regressions and repeated-measurement ANOVA were used to identify risk factors and to evaluate the effect of the OWWP program, respectively. Out of the 3,040 health care providers (39.8 years old and 81.7% females), 77.1% (2,345) suffered from LBP. The LBP group presented with significantly reduced flexibility, altered balance, weakness, and reduced ability to perform voluntary squats, arm curls, and walking in comparison to the non-LBP group (p<0.001). A significant difference was also observed between the LBP and non-LBP groups in PROMIS physical function, pain interference, fatigue, anxiety, social function, and sleep quality (p<0.001). LBP was explained most by PROMIS pain interference score (27.1%), PROMIS fatigue (15.9%), previous work injury (11.2%), and flexibility (9.5 %). Health care providers with LBP who completed the OWWP showed improved weakness, flexibility, single-leg balance, twisting, and better performance of voluntary squats, arm curls, and walking (p<0.002) along with improvement in all measured domains of PROMIS (0<0.001). DFOMs and PROMIS analyses successfully assess and describe LBP patients. PROMIS pain interference, PROMIS fatigue, previous work injury, and flexibility were most useful in identifying the health care worker at risk for LBP. OWWP completed by health care workers at an academic medical center was associated with improvements in disability and functional measurements as well in several recognized patient-reported outcome measures.