title: Designing, prototype making and evaluating a mechanical aid device for patient transfer between bed and stretcher.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The present study aimed at designing, prototype making and evaluating a new assistive device to improve patient transfer conditions.
  
  
  METHODS
  A new aid device for patient transfer was designed and its prototype was made. Comfort and perceived physical exertion of users and stability and applicability of the device were examined. The test subjects included 37 healthcare workers from a hospital with patient transfer experience. The data collection tools consisted of visual analog scales (VAS) and Borg's rating physical effort scale. The rapid entire body assessment (REBA) method was applied to evaluate working posture.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that in 70% of the wards, patient transfer was performed manually more than five times per shift. While using the newly designed device, the mean (SD) of the users' comfort, and the clients' comfort and safety, was measured as 8.59 (0.87), 8.46 (0.92) and 8.67 (0.71), respectively, as reported by VAS. The results revealed a significant reduction in the users' rating of perceived exertion (p < 0.001). Additionally, the REBA score was lower in mechanical transfer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The new assistive device increased the users' and the clients' comfort, reduced the users' physical exertion and improved working postures.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ergonomics , Shiraz University of Medical Sciences , Iran.
authors.forename: Hamid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Salmani Nodooshan
authors.affiliation: b Research Center for Health Sciences , Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences , Iran.
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Choobineh
authors.affiliation: c Department of Physiotherapy , Shiraz University of Medical Sciences , Iran.
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2179-851X
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Razeghi
authors.affiliation: d Institute of Mechanics , Shiraz College of Technology and Engineering , Iran.
authors.forename: Taymaz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shahnazar Nezhad Khales
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001513:Beds; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D004867:Equipment Design; D006804:Ergonomics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D055805:Moving and Lifting Patients / Q000295:instrumentation*; D000070659:Patient Comfort; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D005082:Physical Exertion; D011187:Posture; D058254:Stretchers
keywords: design; musculoskeletal disorders; patient handling