A third of radiologists practicing in New Jersey could be experiencing lower back pain due to their work. This is according to the results of a national commission workforce survey conducted by the American College of Radiology.

The use of PACS, or picture archive and communication systems, could be the reason some radiologists report work-related musculoskeletal injuries. Although the radiology industry has been migrating to a digitized archive and communication system from a film-based system, the negative effects of using the more contemporary PACS could overshadow the benefits they provide.

The PACS environment can be beneficial to both patients and radiologists. For example, it lowers storage requirements for data and makes it easier to create structured reporting standards.

However, because of PACS, radiologists have less in-person patient interactions and must contend with working in a computer-based environment. Spending long hours sitting down in front of a computer and badly designed workplace arrangements can cause various musculoskeletal injuries.

The Human Resources Commission of the ACR contacted almost 500 radiology practice leaders to take part in the survey, which inquired about the injuries their staff incurred in the workplace. More than 30 percent of practice leaders said radiologists at their offices reported back pain. Other factors that may be contributing to the injuries are negative workplace environments and job dissatisfaction. For radiologist, lower job dissatisfaction is usually a result of burnout.

An experienced attorney may help an employee obtain the workers’ compensation to which they are entitled. If necessary, legal counsel could guide the client through the appeals process for denied claims or insufficient settlements.