Near-1: the evaluation of usability and task load demand of a motorized lifter for patient transfer

Despite the proven benefits of motorized lifting devices in reducing the physical stresses experienced by nurses during patient transfers, the low adoption of these devices remains limited. The study aimed to assess the perceptions of nurses regarding the new motorized lifting device (NEAR-1) in terms of their perceived workload and usability during patient transfers.

A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the perceptions of nurses (n = 45) and students (n = 6) when performing patient transfers from bed to wheelchair and vice versa using the NEAR-1 compared to an existing floor lift, walking belt, and manual transfer. Participants filled out surveys evaluating the perceived task demands and usability of the NEAR-1, as well as open-ended interviews.

The use of the NEAR-1 significantly reduced the mean of all NASA-TLX constructs (p < 0.001) when compared to manual transfer. When comparing with other existing lifting devices, the NEAR-1 (24.4 ± 3.0) recorded the lowest overall score of NASA-TLX perceived workload, followed by the existing floor lift (26.1 ± 11.6), a robotic-assisted transfer device (28.3 ± 6.8) and mechanical floor lift (31.5 ± 9.3). The participants recorded a usability score of 76.86, indicating positive perceptions of the nurses towards the technology.

Overall, the NEAR-1 has the potential to reduce the physical stresses on nurses and decrease the likelihood of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). The NEAR-1 may represent a promising new intervention for transferring patients that is capable of minimizing the nurses' perceived workload in clinical and non-clinical settings.