Extremely obese patients in the healthcare setting: patient and staff safety

As a growing number of people in the United States are classified as overweight or obese, healthcare facilities and practices are considering ways to address the needs of this population. Issues to be addressed include facility construction, equipment selection, availability of certain supplies, staff sensitivity, and staff training and education in appropriate patient lifting. The ever-increasing prevalence of obesity in the US population makes implementing these features a valuable long-term investment and significantly reduces the risk of injury to patients and staff.