Biomechanics Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Biomechanics, including details on mechanics of living organisms, movement, locomotion, prosthetic limbs.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of portable ceiling lifts in a new long-term care facility.

Miller A, Engst C, Tate RB, Yassi A

Occupational Health and Safety Agency for Healthcare (OHSAH) in BC, #301-1195 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6 H 3X5. webmaster@ohsah.bc.ca

Researchers and health and safety practitioners have advocated replacing manual patient handling techniques with ceiling lifts in long-term care. The majority of these studies have only evaluated the impact of fixed ceiling lifts on extended care residents where the ratio of ceiling lifts to resident beds is one to one. This pre-post intervention study assesses the effectiveness of portable ceiling lifts in a new multi-level care facility on risk of patient handling injuries where the ratio of ceiling lifts to resident beds is one to six. Results indicated that staff perceived they were at significantly (p<0.05) less risk of injury when using ceiling lifts compared to manual methods. Seventy-five percent of staff preferred to use the ceiling lifts over any other method for lifting and transferring residents. Compensation costs due to patient handling decreased in the intervention facility, with a 241% increase in the comparison facility. This study demonstrates that incorporating ceiling lifts into the design of a new multi-level care facility reduced patient handling injuries and decreased perceived risk of injury among care staff.

Published 6 February 2006 in Appl Ergon, 37(3): 377-85.
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