Patient handling in the veterans health administration: facilitating change in the health care industry.
OBJECTIVE
To describe a 15-year process creating an industry standard of practice without regulatory support through organizational leadership.


METHODS
Description of the development and rollout of a safe patient-handling program, including the initial scientific development, a cultural history, and agency data.


RESULTS
Patient-handling injuries represent more than 20% of injuries to nurses. These declined by more than 40% throughout the program. In parallel, program scope and implementation evolved through collaboration across facility program managers in one organization, among various organizations, and between users and equipment manufacturers. Program success required a shift from a technology focus to culture change and behaviors.


CONCLUSIONS
Program evolution arises from collaborative practice and interactions between individual practitioners, organizational needs and interests, and manufacturers. Creation of a public forum was critical to changes in a meanwhile internationally accepted standard.
From the Occupational Health Group (Dr Hodgson), and Patient Care Ergonomics (Ms Matz), Occupational Health Strategic Healthcare Group, Office of Public Health, Veterans Health Administration, Washington, DC; and Center of Excellence (Health Services Research and Development) and Patient Safety Center (Dr Nelson), James A. Haley VAMC, Tampa, Fla.
Michael J
MJ
Hodgson
Mary W
MW
Matz
Audrey
A
Nelson
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D019567:Back Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control; D019981:Health Care Sector; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training / Q000458:organization & administration; D055805:Moving and Lifting Patients / Q000379:methods*; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education*; D061214:Patient Safety / Q000592:standards*; D016730:Program Development; D017751:Safety Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs; D058014:Veterans Health