Characteristics and Clinical Impact of Work‐Related Musculoskeletal Disorders in Echocardiography—Workplace Injuries Improvement Among Sonographers in Echocardiography (WIISE) Study

ABSTRACT Work‐related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSD) are painful injuries affecting health practitioners who perform sonography, and yet its prevalence in Asia Pacific is largely unknown. The aim of the survey is to understand WRMSD among sonographers in the region. A survey was performed across 14 different regions within Asia Pacific between July and September 2024, looking at workplace setting and workload, exercise habits, WRMSD impact and medical care and financial consequences linked to WRMSD. This survey was part of the Workplace Injuries Improvement among Sonographers in Echocardiography (WIISE) study, pioneered by the “Young Cardiologist” chapter of the Asian Pacific Society of Cardiology. A total of 789 responses were received. Respondents free from WRMSD were more likely to have longer years of experience performing echocardiography, a lower proportion of total time committed to scanning, a lower number of patients scanned, and were more likely to be engaged in exercise. Respondents experiencing WRMSD were more likely to be involved in scanning within the inpatient ward and critical care setting. Latent class analysis revealed echocardiographers spending < 50% of time scanning had an odds ratio of 3, whereas female allied health professionals working in the public sector and dedicating > 50% of time scanning had an odds ratio of 27, versus male physicians respectively in developing WRMSD. Our survey highlights similar challenges reported in existing literature (e.g., predominantly female workforce affected) and some unique to our Asia Pacific workforce. Further studies are needed to understand factors unique to the development of WRMSD to guide regional recommendations in echocardiography practice.