Lifters: Patients’ Perspectives, Expectations, and Experiences and Their Relevance for Clinical Practice and Occupational Health

This study describes patient expectations of, views on, and experiences with the use of patient lifting devices. Patient resistance against lifters is considered a reason for their nonuse, which, in turn, contributes to the failure of back pain prevention programs. Semi-structured interviews were held with 81 patients in home care, homes for the elderly, and nursing homes. The interviews were held with patients that had recently (ie, average 8.5 weeks) been introduced to a lifter but were now accustomed to regular use of the lifter. The interviews were divided into 3 parts: the first proposal to use a lifter, the first actual encounter with the lifter, and the stable situation of regular use. The results demonstrate that 18% of the patients initially have positive expectations. Immediately after the first introduction, slightly more patients are positive (25%). Once patients are used to the lifters, 61% are positive, but a few patients remain negative. The results can be used to facilitate a safer, easier, and more advantageous use of lifters. Recommendations to improve these results are presented.

Knibbe HJJ, Knibbe NE, Klaassen AJWM

Keywords: lifting equipment, patient perspective, safe patient handling