A comparative force assessment of 4 methods to move a patient up a bed

Abstract

This study compared four different postures and positions regularly suggested for moving a patient up towards the head of the bed, using both novice and expert users. The trial was carried out in a laboratory using 21 participants (10 novices and 11 experts). All participants completed all conditions (n = 4) three times each (n = 3 repetitions). The physical force at each hand was recorded using electronic four compression/tension meters, recorded on DasyLab software. After each condition a subjective review questionnaire was completed. The data was processed with excel and SPSS to evaluate the differences between the conditions. A significant statistical reduction was found when comparing combined force for all carers (F(3,27) = 24.63, p