International Round Table Discussion: Do Gait Belts Have a Role in Safe Patient Handling Programs?

The question as to whether gait, transfer, or handling belts have any place in safe patient handling has been much debated here in the USA and beyond. Originally intended as a support tool for physical therapists when mobilizing their patients, the gait belt seemed to quickly transfer into an essential tool for the clinical nurse, who would place it around the patient’s waist before proceeding to transfer (often pulling) them from bed to chair/commode and back again. This technique has often been taught alongside the essential components of manual lifting. This discussion between physical therapists from New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States looks at how gait/transfer/handling belts are used in their respective countries, explores who the most appropriate group is to use them, and in what circumstances they can safely be used.

Miller H, Rockefeller K, Townsend P

Keywords: gait belts, handling belts, transfer belts, safe patient handling, patient mobility, manual handling