Research Plus

Patient lifting device impact assessment

Near-complete use of patient lifting devices is required before the incidence of low back pain (LBP) and injury claims is noticeably reduced, according to this health impact assessment. The assessment was based on a ‘Markov chain’ decision-analysis model using information from nine quantitative studies on the association between manual patient lifting and LBP, and eight studies on the impact of lifting devices on LBP occurrence. It simulated a 10-year follow up of two hypothetical cohorts: nurses entering the profession without a history of LBP, and those already employed. If manual patient handling was completely eliminated – the best-case scenario – the model predicts that LBP prevalence could be reduced from 42% to 31%, with the impact levelling off after six years.

 

Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2013; online first: 10.1136/oemed-2012-101210

Tags back pain evidence based practice healthcare worker manual handling

Occupational Health at Work June/July 2013 (vol. 10/1) pp41