Ergonomics
-
Visual errors in the perception of written drug names can reflect orthographic similarity amongst certain names. Drug names are typically printed in lowercase text. 'Tall Man' lettering, the capitalisation of the portions that differ amongst orthographically similar drug names, is employed in the field of medication labelling and prescribing to reduce medication errors by highlighting the area most likely to prevent confusion. The influence of textual format on visual drug name perception was tested amongst healthcare professionals (n = 133) using the Reicher-Wheeler task. ⋯ STATEMENT OF RELEVANCE: Tall Man lettering aims to prevent medication errors by reducing visual confusions amongst orthographically similar drug names. It was found that, compared to lowercase text, Tall Man lettering improved accuracy in drug name perception. Character size appeared to be a key determinant of perceptual accuracy for Tall Man lettering.
-
Lumbar posture is commonly assessed in non-specific chronic low back pain (NSCLBP), although quantitative measures have mostly been limited to laboratory environments. The BodyGuard™ is a spinal position monitoring device that can monitor posture in real time, both inside and outside the laboratory. The reliability of this wireless device was examined in 18 healthy participants during usual sitting and forward bending, two tasks that are commonly provocative in NSCLBP. ⋯ STATEMENT OF RELEVANCE: A novel device that can analyse spinal posture exposure in occupational settings in a minimally invasive manner has been developed. This study established that the device has excellent between-day and inter-rater reliability in healthy pain-free subjects. Further studies in people with low back pain are planned.