[Screening of patient manual handling risk using the MAPO method]

International standards draw attention to the steps that risk assessment should follow to first identify hazards, then proceed to risk evaluation and lastly, if necessary, risk assessment. The same logic also applies to risk assessment of manual patient handling.

To check appropriateness of approach to "risk evaluation" of manual patient handling using MAPO, a cross sectional study was carried out aimed at checking the relationship between this new risk assessment model (MAPO screening) and occurrence of acute low back pain.

After proper training the MAPO screening method was used to assess risk of manual handling of patients in 31 wards, covering 411 exposed subjects employed in geriatric hospitals belonging to the UNEBA (National Union Institutions and Social Welfare Initiatives) of the Veneto Region. At the same time health data were collected on the occurrence of low back pain episodes during the last year both in the group of exposed subjects and in an external reference group (237 subjects). Risk and clinical assessment data were verified and checked by the EPM research unit. Logistic analysis was used as a method to evaluate the relationship between MAPO screening risk index and acute low back pain.

Investigating the relationship between acute low back pain episodes and levels of MAPO screening index, carried out only on exposed subjects who reported working for at least 30 hours per week (N=178), showed definitely positive trends: for MAPO screening index of exposure levels between 1.51 and 5, OR were double (OR=2.22; IC 95% 0.88-5.63) whereas for index levels exceeding 5, OR were about 4 (OR=3.77; IC 95% 1.33-10.74). These results did not show significant differences when correcting the analysis for confounding factors such as gender and age classes.

The results of the study indicate that the proposed method, "MAPO screening", can be a useful tool to estimate risk due to manual handling of patients and can also be used to test the efficacy of preventive measures.