Abstract

The design and production of a mobile patient lift which responds to the needs of both patients and professional personnel could help reduce back disorders in hospital personnel. Lifting patients is a recognized cause of back disorders among nurses. Although patient lifts are the only equipment expressly designed to reduce workload and facilitate job tasks associated with moving patients, they appear to have poor acceptance and are little used. In the project's first stage, conducted in collaboration with an expert user group, the reasons for this underutilisation will be determined. The project will then determine whether patient lifts responding to expressed needs are currently available commercially. Since no suitable models was found, a new model of patient lift is in the process of being designed. The new model will be capable of being operated by one person, safe for both patients and professional personnel, and suitable for use in the constrained spaces typical of hospitals.