Paramedics' Behavior Patterns When Transferring Non-Mobile Patients from the Ground to a Stretcher

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health and Safety
• Emergency Medical Services
• Ergonomics

Background:

• Patient transfers pose significant musculoskeletal disorder risks for emergency medical technicians-paramedics (EMT-Ps).
• Limited data exists on real-world EMT-P patient transfer techniques and associated safety practices.
• Understanding these behaviors is crucial for improving workplace safety in emergency response.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the behavioral patterns of EMT-Ps during non-mobile patient transfers from ground to stretcher.
• To identify safe work operations and highlight areas for improvement in real-life emergency medical situations.
• To analyze the influence of contextual factors on transfer techniques.

Main Methods:

• Secondary analysis of 27 video recordings of EMT-Ps during live emergency calls.
• Extraction of contextual variables including workspace and external assistance.
• Detailed observation of preparation subtasks (patient/object manipulation, stretcher adjustment) and transfer subtask movements/postures.

Main Results:

• EMT-P behaviors varied significantly during preparation and transfer phases, even with similar contextual factors.
• Patient-stretcher adjustments were made to ease transfers but were not consistently optimal for safety.
• Effective strategies like rapid loading and utilizing external assistance were observed in specific scenarios.

Conclusions:

• EMT-Ps exhibit situational analysis, organizational skills, and adaptive behaviors during patient transfers.
• Observed techniques highlight the dynamic nature of emergency medical work and the application of safety skills.
• Further research can refine best practices for safe patient handling in pre-hospital settings.