A field test of the EMS LiftKit: Validating its usability, usefulness, and desirability

This research-to-practice (R2P) study aimed to evaluate the usability, usefulness, and desirability of the LiftKit's seven patient handling tools in real world patient handling tasks experienced by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers. These tools were previously shown to effectively reduce physical demands during simulated patient handling tasks in a laboratory setting. Sixteen LiftKits were deployed across five EMS organizations. Follow-up interviews were conducted periodically at each site after LiftKit implementation and a usability, usefulness, and desirability survey was administered at the completion of the 12-month trial. Results from the survey show that those who used the tools provided strong usefulness and usability ratings. Desirability ratings were generally strong, though somewhat varied, across the participating organizations. Consistent themes across the final interviews were that the tools were useful, especially in tight spaces, and versatile. Overall, the study confirmed the usability and usefulness of the LiftKit tools in real patient handling situations.