Friction-reducing devices for lateral patient transfers: a clinical evaluation

Area of Science:

• Healthcare technology assessment
• Patient handling ergonomics
• Nursing practice innovation

Background:

• Traditional draw sheets pose ergonomic challenges and risks for caregivers during lateral patient transfers.
• Acute care settings require efficient and safe methods for repositioning patients.
• Evaluating new patient handling technologies is crucial for improving workplace safety and patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the performance of lateral transfer devices against the traditional draw sheet method.
• To gather subjective feedback from caregivers on device usability and effectiveness.
• To identify optimal technologies for lateral patient transfers in acute care.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study involving eight acute care units over a 2-week rotation of randomly selected lateral transfer devices.
• Caregiver surveys assessing comfort, ease of use, perceived injury risk, time efficiency, and patient safety.
• Calculation of an overall performance rating based on caregiver feedback across five key categories.

Main Results:

• Air-assisted lateral transfer devices received significantly higher ratings from caregivers compared to other devices (p < .05).
• Caregivers reported improved comfort, ease of use, and perceived patient safety with air-assisted devices.
• Lateral transfer devices, particularly air-assisted ones, were rated more favorably than the traditional draw sheet method.

Conclusions:

• Lateral transfer devices are recommended over traditional draw sheets for lateral patient transfers in acute care.
• Friction-reducing lateral transfer devices offer a cost-effective solution to reduce the physical strain on caregivers.
• Healthcare facilities should consider these advanced patient-handling technologies to enhance safety and efficiency.