#E0088 Digital occupational health preparation for the upcoming wave of technological innovation
Digital occupational health preparation for the upcoming wave of technological innovation
To prevent major health issues caused by new working practices and technologies, occupational health needs a new proactive approach. An appropriate and proactive systems approach technique must be used to design the interplay between workers' well-being and new technology, as well as human, environmental, and organizational aspects.
By emphasizing interconnections, the systems approach maximizes human well-being and system effectiveness. The International Ergonomics Association defines the systems approach as using theory, principles, data, and methods to design and optimize human well-being and system performance by harmonizing their interactions. The circumstances in which digital health technologies (DHTs) find application in Japan were categorized into 11 groups. These groups include exercise/physical activity, sleep estimation, contactless heart rate/pulse wave estimation, voice and emotion analysis, self-care/cognitive behavioral therapy/mindfulness, dietary management, psychological safety, communication robots, avatars/metaverse, and brain wave devices.
Papers were searched using keywords derived from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) databases. These trends can explain the upcoming increase in prominence, suggesting a direction for developing occupational health services that utilize these technologies.
A communication robot might have several sensors, for example, to evaluate mental health hazards. Pulse waves, brain wave data, voice, and facial expression information allow the robot to raise early-stage concerns with workers or the company's occupational health team.
On the other hand, facial recognition technology in personal devices and vocal expression analysis can instantly ascertain stress levels. Benefits in DHTs will raise the possibility of early employee mental health issue prevention. Even with the potential benefits to well-being, the use of these technologies in the workplace may spark debate over issues like handling personal information and their use outside of working hours. Workers might also be worried if the DHTs offer after-hours tracking capability. One of the answers could call for discussions on the "avoidance of unintended disclosure of disease risk," the "feature to choose to turn off tracking functionality outside of work hours," and the "opt-in collection of information." The government and interested parties may also need to develop guidelines. Therefore, it is critical to anticipate the balance of benefits and harms when using innovative technologies, as well as to consider and prepare solutions in advance.
The researchers believe that by using digital technologies in a proactive and preventative way, we can improve mental health and reduce the risk of mental health problems in the workplace. They are urging policymakers and employers to take action to prepare for the Industry 4.0 wave and to develop strategies for using digital technologies to improve mental health.
Link to original journal article:
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/eohp/6/1/6_2023-0028-CT/_pdf/-char/en
Title of the paper:
Ergonomic strategies for Digital Occupational Health: Preparing for the oncoming wave of technological innovation
Authors:
Naomichi Tani, Chikae Yamaguchi, Mafu Tsunemi, Hiroaki Fujihara, Kenji Ishii, Yoshiyuki Kamakura, Takeshi Ebara
