title: Zero lift programs in small rural hospitals in Washington state: reducing back injuries among health care workers.
abstract: In Washington State, health care workers have the highest rate of compensable back injuries. Washington Hospital Services, a self-insured workers' compensation program, implemented a zero lift program in 31 of its 38 hospitals. Zero lift was defined as replacing manual lifting, transferring, and re-positioning of patients with mechanical lifting or use of other patient assist devices. This program included two trusts, two pools of hospitals that self-insure workers' compensation. The pools are governed by elected boards of trustees from the pool memberships and regulated by the State Department of Labor and Industries. This pretest-posttest descriptive study compared patient-handling injury data prior to program implementation with those after program implementation. Patient-handling injury claims decreased by 43% in the participating hospitals from 2000 to 2004 (i.e., from 3.51 to 2.23). The time lost frequency rate decreased by 50% (i.e., from 1.91 to 1.03).
authors.affiliation: Washington Hospital Services, Seattle, USA.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Charney
authors.forename: Beverly
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Simmons
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lary
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Metz
mesh_terms: D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019567:Back Injuries / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015984:Causality; D017281:Cost of Illness; D006804:Ergonomics / Q000379:methods; D006744:Hospital Bed Capacity, 100 to 299; D006743:Hospital Bed Capacity, under 100; D006780:Hospitals, Rural; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training / Q000458:organization & administration; D007344:Insurance Claim Reporting / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017770:Lifting / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000458:organization & administration; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000458:organization & administration; D009786:Occupational Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016134:Organizational Policy; D010564:Personnel, Hospital / Q000193:education; D015397:Program Evaluation; D017751:Safety Management / Q000379:methods; D014187:Transportation of Patients / Q000379:methods; D014861:Washington / Q000453:epidemiology; D014942:Workers' Compensation / Q000191:economics