Developing Evidence-Based Interventions to Address the Leading Causes of Workers' Compensation Among Healthcare Workers

Overexertion and slip, trip, and fall (STF) incidents are two of the leading sources of workers'compensation claims and costs in healthcare settings (Bell et al., 2008; Bureau of Labor Statistics [BLS], 2008). Working in conjunction with a team of international researchers, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has been conducting research to demonstrate the effectiveness of comprehensive safe patient handling and STF-prevention programs. The purpose of this article is to summarize the research and outreach efforts of NIOSH and their partners to address the leading occupational injury hazards facing healthcare workers. This article also provides an overview of the changes that are occurring in the healthcare industry as a result of the evidence-based research on safe patient handling and STF prevention that has been conducted in recent years.