Predicting Healthcare Workers’ Work Performance Based on Safety- Ergonomic Features of Medical Gloves at Fars Province Hospitals, Iran, 2021

Background: Healthcare workers’ work performance is an important issue affected by the clinical work environment and equipment. The present study aims to predict healthcare workers’ work performance based on safety-ergonomic features of hands and medical gloves. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on healthcare workers at the hospitals of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran, 2021. Using convenience sampling, 720 healthcare workers were selected. The Patterson’s Work Performance Questionnaire and the Medical Gloves Assessment Tool were used to collect the required data on work performance and safety-ergonomic features of medical gloves, respectively. Results: The work performance score was 40% of the maximum achievable score, and the total score of medical gloves was almost half of the ideal state (50.52%). In addition, there was a significant relationship between work performance and safety-ergonomic features of medical gloves (correlation coefficient = 0.868). The overall regression model showed that safety-ergonomic features of medical gloves could predict the healthcare workers’ work performance (P = 0.001). Accordingly, tactile sensation, dexterity, fitting, reliability, and hand hygiene could predict work performance (P < 0.05), while grip strength alone could not do as such. Besides, fitting was the factor that affected work performance the most (Beta = 0.368). Conclusions: In general, the results of this study showed that safety-ergonomic features of safety gloves could predict the healthcare workers’ work performance. In addition, improving safety-ergonomic aspects of personal protective equipment, including medical gloves, might help enhance the quality of healthcare workers’ performance.