title: Effect of a safe patient handling program on rehabilitation outcomes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of a safe patient handling (SPH) program on rehabilitation mobility outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A rehabilitation unit in a hospital system.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive patients (N=1291) over a 1-year period without an SPH program in place (n=507) and consecutive patients over a 1-year period with an SPH program in place (n=784).
  
  
  METHODS
  The SPH program consisted of administrative policies and patient handling technologies. The policies limited manual patient handling. Equipment included ceiling- and floor-based dependent lifts, sit-to-stand assists, ambulation aides, friction-reducing devices, motorized hospital beds and shower chairs, and multihandled gait belts.
  
  
  METHODS
  The mobility subscale of the FIM.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients rehabilitated in the group with SPH achieved similar outcomes to patients rehabilitated in the group without SPH. A significant difference between groups was noted for patients with initial mobility FIM scores of 15.1 and higher after controlling for initial mobility FIM score, age, length of stay, and diagnosis. Those patients performed better with SPH.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SPH programs do not appear to inhibit recovery. Fears among therapists that the use of equipment may lead to dependence may be unfounded.
authors.affiliation: School of Health and Natural Sciences, Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, NY, USA. mcampo@mercy.edu
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Campo
authors.forename: Mariya P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Shiyko
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Margulis
authors.forename: Amy R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Darragh
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000465:Algorithms; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006757:Hospital Units; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055805:Moving and Lifting Patients / Q000379:methods*; D061214:Patient Safety; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome