About Us
PHASE is a research project that studied health disparities among healthcare workers in the period from 2000 through 2006. It is a project of the Center for Health Promotion and Reseach. The principal investigators are Craig Slatin,Sc.C., MPH, and Laura Punnette, Sc.D.
Who and what is PHASE in Healthcare?
A research team of UMass Lowell researchers from a variety of disciplines (epidemiology, ergonomics, nursing, health care policy, political science, work environment policy, economics, health education, community psychology) received support from The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the National Institutes of Health to conduct a five-year research project to examine how working in the healthcare industry affects workers' health.
What health care institutions and organizations were involved in this project?
The study took place in different health care industry settings including hospitals and long term care facilities (nursing homes) in Massachusetts.
Labor unions that represent health care workers also participated in the project. These included the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) and Local 2020 of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
Why study health disparities among health care workers?The health care workforce includes maintenance, housekeeping workers, food supply workers, patient care workers (professional and semi-professional), technicians, administrators, clerical workers, and managers. These workers' educational backgrounds and wage levels cover a wide range. The workforce includes many women and members of immigrant communities, and is exposed to a variety of known health and safety hazards at work. The main goal of the study was to examine how physical and social/behavioral occupational health risks interact in ways that lead to differences in these workers' health and safety.
How did PHASE in Health care Study these issues?
We used a variety of research methods, including surveys, interviews, focus groups, observations of the work environment, and reviews of various documents and organizational information. We studied the health care industry, the health care workforce and its health status, and the work climate and conditions of participating facilities. The three core components of the study were:
- Case study research of each participating facility.
- Epidemiology study using employee surveys and workplace observations.
- Outcomes study that examines the social, economic, and health consequences of workplace related injuries and illnesses.
What health problems were studied?
The researchers described the general physical and mental health of the participating health care workers and estimated the extent of the following work related health problems:
- Musculoskeletal disorders.
- Acute injuries (resulting from either violent acts or from safety system failures).
- A set of psychological disorders.
The study was supported by a grant from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (Grant #R01OH07381-05) under the auspices of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences’ Health Disparities Research Program.
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