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Lift Devices to Reduce MSI Among Home Support Workers in B.C. — A Community Intervention
RS2001/02-024
Final Report Date: August 2006
| Principal Investigator: | Nancy Paris (British Columbia Institute of Technology) |
| Co-investigators: | Annalee Yassi (Occupational Health and Safety Agency for Healthcare in B.C.) |
For more information about this study please contact Nancy Paris.
Issue
Transferring and repositioning clients places community health care workers at risk for musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs). Although mechanical lifts have been shown to reduce the risk of injury in other health care settings, such devices are often too expensive or inappropriately designed for use in home care settings.
The researchers previously developed a manually operated ceiling lift that is intended to be more affordable and appropriate for home care settings. In this project, that lift was evaluated by conducting a trial of the device in the homes of 20 homecare clients.Key findings
- Generally, the community health workers and home care clients participating in the study found the lift to be acceptable.
- A majority of clients felt safe and secure, and experienced less stress and greater comfort during transfers with the device than during manual transfers.
- Community health workers reported less overall physical stress on their body and greater comfort when using the lift device.
- There were no injuries or related compensation costs associated with using the lifts during the evaluation period.
Objectives
- To identify psychological barriers to home care clients and community health workers accepting the use of a mechanical lift.
- To evaluate the use of the newly designed lift in the home care setting, and gather client and community health worker feedback on the comfort, safety and acceptability of the device.
- To examine rates of MSIs and resulting compensation costs for participating community health workers during the evaluation period.
Method
Using the lower cost manual lift design developed in the previous study, the researchers built the lifts at the BCIT Technology Centre.
The lifts were installed in the homes of twenty home care clients in the Lower Mainland who accepted an invitation to participate in the study. The community health workers who worked with each of the clients were invited to participate in the study as well. A total of 38 community health workers participated.
The lifts were used in the clients’ homes for one year. An interview questionnaire was used to explore how clients and community health workers perceived and used the lift. Researchers also collected information about injury rates and claims costs for each of the community health workers who participated in the study. The questionnaire and injury data were collected and analysed at three points in time: before the evaluation period, after six months of using the lift, and at the end of one year.
Results
Overall, community health workers found the BCIT lift to be acceptable. Specific results included the following:
- The majority of participants said they would be likely to use the BCIT lift device if the client was required to have it in their home.
- The majority reported less overall physical stress on their body and greater comfort when using the lift device compared with manual lifting and transfer.
- Over 90% found transfers to be easy and felt safe and comfortable when using the BCIT lift.
- Many participants felt that clients view assistive devices such as lifts as a loss of independence.
- Most participants felt that more clients would be willing to get lift devices for their homes if they were more affordable.
- Participants provided feedback on various features of the lift including noise, portability, smoothness of the ride up and down.
In general, clients found the lift to be acceptable as well. Specific results included the following:
- Most clients (over 90%) reported less overall physical stress and greater comfort when being transferred with a lift, compared with manual transfers.
- Most clients felt safe and secure during transfer using the BCIT lift (71% at 6 months and 82% at 12 months).
- The majority of clients strongly agreed that more clients would get lifts if they were more affordable. Participants’ suggestions as to how to persuade home care clients to get a lift included explaining the benefits for increased mobility and safety, and giving an example or demonstration.
- Clients rated noise, colour and device shape as important features of the device.
- Clients indicated that the most important information needed when considering a lift is: how the lift works, its cost, its maintenance, and whether installation could damage the home.
- Clients identified potential barriers to wanting a lift as fear of the unknown, not liking the appearance, and the feeling that a lift was not needed.
The researchers examined injury data for 28 of the participating community health workers. There were no injuries or compensation costs relating to the use of the lift during the study period for those participants.
Conclusions
The results of the study suggest that the BCIT lift is acceptable to clients and community health workers in home care settings. At the same time, the researchers note that they experienced initial difficulty in recruiting home care clients to participate in the study and suggest that there may be additional barriers to adopting lifts in home care settings.
Future directions
The BCIT team is working to commercialize the manual lift design so that it can be made available for purchase and use in home care settings. Future research may examine whether there are barriers within the health care system that limit the adoption of lifts in the home care context.
Publications and conference presentations
Keane B, Bellaire T, Janzen E, Kanigan R, Mattie J, Paris N, Wilson C. United States Patent Application No. 60/448,564, February 17, 2004: Patient Raising and Lowering Device and Equipment Therefor.
OHSAH. HomeCare Update Fact Sheet: Improving the Health of Community Health Workers. BCIT Homecare Lift Study. October 2006.
Paris N, Yassi A, Heacock H, Watzke J, Frederking S, Keane B, Janzen E, Kanigan R, Wilson C, Bellaire T. Lift Devices to Reduce MSI among Community Health Workers in BC – A Community Intervention. Canadian Medical and Biological Engineering Society 29th Annual Conference June 1-3, 2006, Vancouver, BC.
Paris N, Yassi A, Heacock H, Watzke J, Frederking S, Back C, Hackett G, Craib K. Lift Device to Reduce Musculoskeletal Injuries among Home Support Workers. Association of Canadian Ergonomists 2006 Conference, October 22-25, Banff, Alberta.
Paris N, Watzke J. Development, Evaluation, and Commercialization of a Home-Based Lift Device. Polytechnics Canada Technology Showcase. November 16, 2006, Calgary Alberta.
Paris N, Yassi A, Heacock H, Watzke J, Frederking S, Back C, Hackett G, Craib K. Poster Presentation titled: Lift Device to Reduce Musculoskeletal Injuries among Home Support Workers. Canadian Home Care Association’s 16th Annual Home Care Summit, December 10 – 12, 2006, Toronto, Ontario.