Functional Assessments for Safe Patient Mobilization Across the Continuum of Care

Early and progressive mobility and safe patient handling and mobility (SPHM) programs are multidisciplinary programs that link patient safety and outcomes to caregiver safety. Using standardized tools can help achieve consistency across all disciplines in decision-making for appropriate use of SPHM equipment to assist patients with the appropriate level of mobility. Choosing the most appropriate instrument(s) without an additional time burden on caregivers can be a source of conflict as teams strive for an integrated approach to patient-centered mobility. This article explores the major considerations for choosing standardized tools to help multidisciplinary teams weigh the options in a systematic way and suggests a framework to guide this systematic approach.

Arnold M

Keywords: patient mobility, mobility assessment tools, safe patient handling assessment, functional assessment tool