Design and evaluation of footrests for hospital wheelchairs

Transferring a patient to or from a hospital wheelchair can be a difficult operation, with some risk to the patient and to the attendant. Studies are described in which the footrests of hospital wheelchairs are assessed and improved in order to reduce the problems of patient transfer. Four different types of footrest were fitted to hospital ward chairs and three types to transit chairs; these were assessed and compared by hospital ward staff and porters respectively. Based on the findings of these trials, a new type of footrest was designed for use on both types of chair. The new footrest lowers down to the ground and is operated by a footlever.