Affiliations: [a] VISN 8 Patient Safety Center of Inquiry, James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital and Clinics, Tampa, FL, USA
| [b] Research and Development Services, James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital and Clinics, Tampa, FL, USA
| [c] Physical Therapy Department, Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, NY, USA
| [d] Division of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| [e] Department of Clinical Research & Leadership, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| [f] Safe Patient Handling Facility, Clement J Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| [g] Physical Therapy Department, Nova Southeastern University, Tampa, FL, USA
Correspondence:
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Address for correspondence: Deborah Rugs, VISN 8 Patient Safety Center of Inquiry, James A. Haley VA Hospital, 8900 Grand Oak Circle, Tampa, FL 33637, USA. E-mail: Deborah.Rugs@va.gov.
Abstract: BACKGROUND:Increasingly, occupational and physical therapists are using safe patient handling and mobility (SPHM) equipment, such as mechanical lifts, in rehabilitation. However, there is little guidance in the literature on how SPHM equipment can be used to assist patients to reach rehabilitation goals. The purpose of this projectwas to document and categorize common and innovative ways rehabilitation therapists use SPHM equipment in their clinical practice. OBJECTIVE:This article investigates common and innovative uses of SPHM equipment in rehabilitation practice. METHODS:Occupational, physical and kinesio therapist employed at the Veterans Health Administration wrote narratives and took photos describing rehabilitation therapy activities where they used SPHM equipment in their clinical practice. The authors used a systematic process to review and categorize the narratives and subsequent photos by using the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). RESULTS:Thirty narratives (13 innovative and 17 common) were coded into four categories on the ICF section of mobility. The most common category was “changing and maintaining basic body position”(21) followed by “walking and moving” (5). The category “carrying, moving and handling objects” garnered two narratives and there were no narratives for “using transportation.” CONCLUSIONS:Project findings may serve as a guide for therapists who would like to enhance their use of SPHM equipment in rehabilitation. Additional research is needed to expand the use of SPHM in rehabilitation practice and evaluate the impact on patient rehabilitation outcomes and therapist safety outcomes.
Keywords: Rehabilitation therapy, international classification of functioning, occupational therapy, physical therapy
