OrthoVest Global Lead Apron Survey
Please share your feedback and insights.
Full Name
First Name
Last Name
Email Address
example@example.com
Diagnosis: Who You Are & Your Exposure
1. What is your primary role?
*
Physician — Attending / Consultant
Physician — Fellow / Resident / Trainee
Advanced Practice Provider (NP, PA)
Registered Nurse
Technologist / Radiographer / Cardiovascular Tech
Sonographer
Surgical / Scrub Tech
Anesthesiologist / CRNA
Researcher / Industry / Other support
Other
Other (Please specify)
2. What is your primary specialty or work area?
*
Electrophysiology (EP)
Interventional Cardiology
Structural Heart
Vascular Surgery / Endovascular
Interventional Radiology
Diagnostic Radiology (fluoroscopy)
Orthopedic Surgery (fluoroscopy)
Urology (fluoroscopy, lithotripsy)
Gastroenterology / ERCP
Pain Management
General / Trauma Surgery (fluoroscopy)
Neuro-interventional
Dental / Oral
Veterinary
Other (Please Specify)
3.In what country do you primarily practice?
Please Select
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
The Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Brunei
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Christmas Island
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Colombia
Comoros
Congo
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Cote d'Ivoire
Croatia
Cuba
Curaçao
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
France
French Polynesia
Gabon
The Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jersey
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
North Korea
South Korea
Kosovo
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Nagorno-Karabakh
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands
Netherlands Antilles
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
Norfolk Island
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Northern Mariana
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Palestine
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Pitcairn Islands
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Republic of the Congo
Romania
Russia
Rwanda
Saint Barthelemy
Saint Helena
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
Somaliland
South Africa
South Ossetia
South Sudan
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Svalbard
eSwatini
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tokelau
Tonga
Transnistria Pridnestrovie
Trinidad and Tobago
Tristan da Cunha
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Turks and Caicos Islands
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican City
Venezuela
Vietnam
British Virgin Islands
Isle of Man
US Virgin Islands
Wallis and Futuna
Western Sahara
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe
4. How many total years have you been wearing lead in your clinical practice?
*
Less than 1 year
1–5 years
6–10 years
11–15 years
16–20 years
21–25 years
26–30 years
31+ years
5. On a typical working day, how many hours do you spend wearing lead?
*
Less than 1 hour
1–2 hours
3–4 hours
5–6 hours
7–8 hours
9–10 hours
More than 10 hours
6. How many days per week do you typically wear lead?
*
Less than 1 day
1 day
2 days
3 days
4 days
5 days
6–7 days
7. What is your typical case length while wearing lead?
*
Less than 30 minutes
30–60 minutes
1–2 hours
2–4 hours
4–6 hours
More than 6 hours
8. On a typical week, about how many procedures are you in lead for?
*
Diagnosis: Your Equipment And How You Use It
9. Which style of lead apron do you most often wear?
*
Traditional single-piece (wraparound vest & skirt as one garment)
Two-piece (separate vest and skirt)
Kilt / skirt only
Ceiling-suspended or "zero-gravity" system (no body-worn apron)
Exoskeleton-assisted apron
10. How much weight does your lead apron place on your upper body (shoulders and back)?If you wear a two-piece apron, estimate the weight of the vest/top only. If you wear a one-piece apron, estimate the weight of the full garment.
*
Under 5 lbs (under 2.3 kg)
5–7 lbs (2.3–3.2 kg)
8–10 lbs (3.6–4.5 kg)
11–13 lbs (5–6 kg)
14–16 lbs (6.4–7.3 kg)
More than 16 lbs (over 7.3 kg)
Not Sure
11. What material is your current apron?
*
Traditional lead
Lead composite / lead-reduced
Lead-free / non-lead
Not Sure
12. During procedures while wearing lead, how often do you bend forward at the waist(leaning over the table, reaching across the patient, adjusting equipment, etc.)?
*
Rarely or never
Sometimes (a few times per case)
Frequently (many times per case)
Almost constantly (bent forward for most of the case)
Symptoms: What Your Body Is Telling You
13. In the past 12 months, have you experienced pain or discomfort in any of the following areas that you believe is at least partly related to wearing lead?
*
Rows
None
Mild (aware of it but not limiting)
Moderate (affects activity)
Severe (limits work or life)
Disabling (prevents work or major life tasks)
Neck
Shoulders
Arms (Shooting or radiating pain)
Upper Back
Mid Back
Lower Back
Lumbar
14. How often do you experience this lead-related pain?
*
Never
Occasionally (a few times per month)
Weekly
Daily — only during or after work
Daily — constant, including non-work time
15. Has your lead-related pain changed over time?
*
Within the first year of wearing lead
1–3 years in
4–7 years in
8–15 years in
After 15+ years of wearing lead
I don't attribute my pain to lead apron use
16. If you experience pain you attribute to lead apron use, when did you first notice it?
*
Within the first year of wearing lead
1–3 years in
4–7 years in
8–15 years in
After 15+ years of wearing lead
17. In addition to pain, have you experienced any of the following while wearing lead? (Select all that apply)
*
Breast or chest discomfort from apron pressure or compression
Excessive sweating or overheating under the apron
General physical fatigue or exhaustion from wearing the apron
Feeling physically drained at the end of the workday
Shortness of breath or restricted breathing
Numbness or tingling not already covered above
Skin irritation, chafing, or rashes
None of the above
Symptoms: The Hidden Cost
18. Because of lead-related pain, have you done any of the following? (Select all that apply)
*
Modified my stance or posture during cases
Shortened or rescheduled cases
Traded cases with colleagues to avoid longer procedures
Declined to take on additional or complex cases
Taken pain medication before a procedure
Taken pain medication after a procedure
Cut back on exercise or physical activity
Given up a sport, hobby, or physical activity I previously enjoyed
Had difficulty sleeping
Had difficulty with family activities (lifting children, household tasks, etc.)
None of the above
19. Has lead-related pain ever caused you to miss a day (or more) of work?
*
Never
1-2 days
3-5 days
6-10 days
11-20 days
More than 20 days
Prognosis: Medical Care & Career Impact
20. Because of pain or injury you attribute to lead apron use, have you sought any of the following? (Select all that apply)
*
Primary care visit
Specialist visit (orthopedic, spine, neurology, pain)
Specialist visit (orthopedic, spine, neurology, pain)
Chiropractic care
Massage therapy / bodywork
X-ray, MRI, or other imaging
Over-the-counter pain medication (regularly)
Prescription pain medication
Injections (cortisone, epidural, trigger-point, etc.)
Surgery
Disability or extended leave
None of the above
21. Have you been formally diagnosed with any of the following? (Select all that apply, optional)
Herniated or bulging disc
Degenerative disc disease
Cervical or lumbar radiculopathy (nerve impingement)
Rotator cuff injury or shoulder impingement
Chronic cervical or lumbar strain
Osteoarthritis
Sciatica
Other spine or orthopedic condition
None of the above
22. Have you ever seriously considered leaving your specialty, reducing your practice, or retiring early because of lead-related pain?
*
Yes — I have already reduced my practice or changed roles
Yes — I have concrete plans to do so
Yes — I have thought about it seriously but not acted
I have thought about it occasionally
No, never
23. Do you personally know colleagues who have left the field, switched specialties, or retired early due to lead-apron-related pain or injury?
*
Yes — several
Yes — one or two
No
Not sure
24. Do you expect lead apron use to shorten your working career?
*
Yes, significantly
Yes, somewhat
Probably not
Definitely not
Not sure
Wants & Needs: What a Real Solution Looks Like
25. What have you tried to reduce or prevent lead-related pain? (Select all that apply)
*
Lighter-weight apron
Two-piece apron
Ceiling-suspended or "zero-gravity" shielding
Exoskeleton or support device
Core strengthening / targeted exercise program
Physical therapy
Ergonomic changes in the procedure room
Standing mats / different footwear
Stretching, yoga, or mobility work
Posture-support device or brace
Nothing yet
26. Of the things you've tried, what has helped most (if anything)?
*
27. Which qualities matter most to you in an improved solution? (Select your top 3)
*
Lighter weight
Better weight distribution across the body
Improved fit / custom feel
Lower cost
Easier to put on and take off
Preserves full range of motion
Does not compromise radiation protection
Works with my existing apron
Cooler / more breathable
Long-term durability
About You
28. What is your age range?
*
Under 30
30–39
40-49
50–59
60–69
70+
Prefer not to say
29. What is your sex?
*
Female
Male
Non-binary / other
Prefer not to say
30. Did you have any significant musculoskeletal conditions (back, neck, shoulders) BEFORE you began wearing lead in clinical practice?
*
Yes
No
Not Sure
31. Do you have a regular exercise or core-strengthening routine?
*
Yes — 4 or more times per week
Yes — 1–3 times per week
Occasionally
Rarely or never
Close: Trust Delivery
32. Would you like to receive the full results report when the survey closes?
*
Yes
No
33. If yes, please enter your email (used only for the results report — kept private and never shared):
*
example@example.com
33. If yes, please enter your email (used only for the results report — kept private and never shared):
*
example@example.com
34. Would you be willing to be contacted for a brief follow-up interview to share more of your experience?
*
Yes
No
35. Is there anything else you'd like to tell us that this survey didn't ask?
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