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Episode details:

In the operating room, ergonomics is often viewed as an individual responsibility—adjust your posture, raise the table, take a microbreak. But what if preventing injury requires something much bigger than individual habits?

About Our Guest:

Dr. Fahad Alam is an anesthesiologist, medical education researcher, and leader in clinical ergonomics research at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and the University of Toronto. Together, we explore the emerging concept of team ergonomics and why improving the physical, cognitive, and organizational environment of the operating room requires every member of the surgical team. Drawing from groundbreaking research conducted with Dr. Julie Hallet and colleagues, Dr. Alam discusses the alarming prevalence of musculoskeletal pain among operating room professionals, the lack of formal ergonomics education across healthcare training, and how psychological safety influences whether clinicians feel comfortable speaking up about ergonomic concerns. We also discuss innovative approaches to changing OR culture through simulation, virtual reality, ergonomic checklists, and team communication strategies that have the potential to improve both clinician well-being and patient safety. Whether you're a surgeon, anesthesiologist, nurse, trainee, or healthcare leader, this episode highlights why ergonomics should be viewed as a shared responsibility—and how small changes in teamwork may have a lasting impact on career longevity.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why musculoskeletal pain affects the majority of operating room professionals—not just surgeons.
• How physical strain, cognitive workload, and organizational culture all contribute to ergonomic risk.
• Why ergonomics should be viewed as a team responsibility rather than an individual problem.
• What Dr. Alam's research revealed about the prevalence of pain and the lack of ergonomics education among OR staff.
• How psychological safety influences whether clinicians feel comfortable speaking up about ergonomic concerns.
• The role of simulation training and virtual reality in teaching team ergonomics.
• How ergonomic checklists and communication frameworks may improve teamwork and reduce injury risk.
• Practical ways surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, and trainees can support one another during cases.
• Why investing in team ergonomics has the potential to improve clinician well-being, performance, and patient safety.

Resources

You can reach Dr. Fahad Alam via:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fahad-alam-244796152/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.alam_md/?hl=en

Publications discussed in this episode:

The Society of Surgical Ergonomics publications on team ergonomics and the SORE (Simulation for Operating Room Ergonomics) Study. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39502068/ and https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40794621/

Previous episode with Dr. Julie Hallet on surgical ergonomics. https://surgicalergonomics.com/2025/08/25/team-ergonomics-and-the-ergonomics-time-out-with-dr-julie-hallet/

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