Validity and reliability of the HEMPA method for patient handling assessment

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health and Safety
• Ergonomics
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Existing methods for assessing occupational hazards in patient handling have varying analytical perspectives.
• Previous research compared these methods, proposing a new integrated tool based on their complementary aspects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate and assess the reliability of a newly developed tool, HEMPA (Healthcare Ergonomics and Manual Handling Patient Assessment), for evaluating occupational risks in patient handling.
• To determine if HEMPA accurately correlates risk with patient-induced damage and quantifies risks related to patient dependence.

Main Methods:

• A study was conducted in five medical and surgical units of a public healthcare institution.
• The HEMPA method was applied to assess occupational hazards during patient handling tasks.
• Statistical analysis was performed to verify the validity and reliability of the HEMPA tool.

Main Results:

• The HEMPA method was found to be valid and reliable in assessing occupational hazards from patient handling.
• A positive correlation was observed between the level of risk and the extent of damage.
• The tool accurately quantifies risks associated with varying levels of patient dependence.

Conclusions:

• The HEMPA tool offers a valid and reliable approach to assessing occupational risks in healthcare settings.
• HEMPA effectively links risk factors to patient handling outcomes and quantifies dependence-related risks.
• This integrated method can contribute to improved patient handling safety protocols and risk management in hospitals.